Years Away
by Joker's Specter
Summary: Takes place after the events in Majora's Mask. Link has just left Termina and is still in search of his missing friend, Navi. The hero soon finds himself a prisoner stripped of all his items, and in danger of losing another close friend.
1. Termina Behind, New Places Ahead

**_Years Away_**  
By Joker's Specter

_Chapter One: Termina Behind; New Places Ahead_

**As it says above, I published this story on 05-07-03. However, as of 02-07-11 I've begun to go through and rewrite the entire thing. I am not changing anything major; I'm just going through and correcting errors, adding more descriptions, extending certain scenes, rewriting dialogue here and there, fixing personalities, and trimming off any fat that wasn't necessary. For anybody who has read this in the past, if you want to skip rereading it, then that should be fine; none of the major plot points will be changed with the exception of one: In the original version, Navi did not come back in time with Link. That is an error that I have since fixed.**

One thing I would change that I am _not_ changing are the names of Tifa and some of the other characters. As unoriginal as their names might be, readers who used to read the story might not recognize the characters if I renamed them. So despite being unoriginal, I do have a reason for keeping them that way.  
-Joker

* * *

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda is owned by _Nintendo_.

* * *

A lone figure exited the treeline of a forest and rode out onto a large, grassy field upon his faithful horse, Epona. The boy in green clothes expressed relief as he saw the open grasslands that signaled his final departure out of the odd realm of Termina. While he definitely had some interesting experiences, found new useful equipment, and made a few new friends, he still had a quest that he was determined to get back to.

Link, the Hero of Time, had to find Navi the fairy, his friend who had endured so much with him and helped him save Hyrule.

Originally, he had almost no clue where to look, except that the Young Deku Tree said that he could sense her in a far away land. How she came to be there was beyond both Link and the Young Deku Tree's knowledge. The last thing Link had remembered of Navi was that she seemed a little down in the moments before she disappeared. It was bizarre; not only was she there one minute, and gone the next, but Link couldn't figure out what could have happened other than her flying away on her own.

And if that were the case, why didn't she come back? Was she in trouble? The young boy needed to find out.

"Well, Epona," said Link, his voice sounding a little weary despite the content expression on his face, "It looks like we can finally get back to our search for Navi."

The only response Link got from Epona was when the horse sped up a little.

A smile spread onto Link's face as he held onto Epona tighter. "Looks like you want to find her as much as I do, girl," he said.

Epona threw back her head and whinnied loudly; she hadn't been able to run through a clear field since they had left Termina. She was ecstatic, and made sure Link knew it by taking him on the ride of his life.

Link laughed and spread his arms out, feeling the wind on his face. Several times he had to grab his floppy green hat so it wouldn't fly off. "Okay Epona; let's go get Navi!" he exclaimed.

They rode like that for hours, never slowing down. Epona's stamina was phenomenal as both her happiness to be out of Termina and the forest, and her determination to find their long lost friend mixed into a feeling that fueled her beyond her normal limits. The sun had began to set long before Epona decreased her pace.

Finally, with the sun minutes from disappearing behind the mountains in the distance, Epona slowed down to a trot, prompting Link to raise his head from where it was resting on Epona's soft mane. They were nearing a mountain range that stretched before them as far as the eye could see. Patches of trees dotted the landscape, grouping mostly around the mountain base. The wind that rolled off of the mountains and into the valley was cool and fresh as it rushed against the adventuring pair.

"It's getting a little cold," Link stated, climbing off of Epona to stretch his muscles.

Epona snorted, and then made a slight nodding motion with her head, finishing the act off with rubbing her nose against the side of Link's head.

Link reached up and rubbed Epona's snout as his blue eyes scanned the landscape around him. "I think we should stop somewhere in those trees that border that mountain range. I don't know what lurks out here, so it could provide us with cover," the hero explained. "Then tomorrow when we begin travelling again, we can move along the mountain base. Maybe we'll come across a town."

A whinny sounded beside his pointed ear. Link looked over to his horse as she stared at him with a big, black eye.

"Okay, okay. I'll build a fire, too," he said, unable to resist grinning. Epona was way too smart for her own good.

Epona trotted excitedly, and then allowed Link to climb onto her again. After a few minutes more of riding, they approached a grouping of trees that would provide adequate covering. The tall pine trees were packed tightly enough that from a distance a fire couldn't be seen, and Linked silently hoped that their smell might throw off the scent of the burning wood.

"You just rest, Epona; you've been moving all day," said Link as he jumped off of Epona's back. The grateful horse settled down next to the spot where Link planned on building the fire as the young boy wandered off in search of firewood.

The Hylian returned three minutes later with an armful of suitable firewood. He carefully placed the firewood down in the center of the clearing, and constructed a makeshift fireplace with rocks and mounds of dirt. He'd done it plenty of times since leaving Hyrule; it was a natural skill to him now.

"And finally, our flint and steel," Link joked as he unstrapped his bow from off of his back and pulled out an arrow. After notching the arrow in the string, Link closed his eyes and concentrated. Suddenly, the tip of the arrow sparked and flashed. The rapid popping sparks quickly exploded into a raging flame, engulfing the front of the arrowhead and lighting up the surrounding tree stumps.

Taking a step back, Link pulled arrow close to his chin, aiming at the firewood. Once he was confident he wouldn't accidentally make a shishkebab out of Epona, he released the enchanted projectile. There was a burst of flame, overtaking the fireplace and much of the surrounding area, just coming short of Epona's hooves. She didn't seem to be bothered by it, as she laid her head down and watched the spectacle. As the fire-burst died down, it was replaced by a roaring fire in the middle of the circle of rocks. Link put his bow on the ground next to a log, and then unequipped the rest of his gear that would cause discomfort while sleeping.

Epona watched as Link approached her, and then closed her eyes as he sat next to her. "Good girl, Epona," he commented as he laid back against her and placed his hands behind his head. His blue eyes gazed up at the trees, and then up higher towards the night sky. As he studied the stars, he couldn't help but think they look remarkably like millions of fairies hovering above him.

"We're coming for you, Navi," Link promised as he closed his heavy eyelids, "even if it takes all of my life..."

**!-S- -O- -N- -G- -O-!  
!-F- -T- -I- -M- -E-!**

Link woke up several times in the middle of the night. The first time was due to the fierce cold that had washed over them as the fire died away. The young boy finished putting out the fire, so as not to attract predators, and then grabbed a bundled blanket from his things to cover Epona and himself with.

The second time Link awoke was from an unpleasant dream. Link rarely had good dreams. He wasn't sure if it was because he was consistently in danger or because some higher power wanted him to suffer, but for whatever reason, nightmares plagued his subconscious thoughts as he turned control over to them in his dreaming.

The nightmare he experienced just before waking up involved a horrific blending of villains he'd encountered in the past. Most prominent were Ganondorf and Majora. For some reason, they were gigantic. Taller than the highest tower of Hyrule castle. As Link rode on Epona away from them, they seemed to fall over onto him, always right behind him. Their hideous growls spewed forth minions from their mouths, projecting demons and obedient servants of death and destruction, all with the intent of slaying Link.

But instead of him, it was Navi. The fairy took Link's place, and the wave of evil overcame her, engulfing her sapphire glow.

The nightmare had made Link shiver from the moment he awoke. His palms were all clammy, and his chest rose and fell rapidly as he panted hard, staring wildly into the darkness. A feeling of dread overcame him as he wondered if the nightmare was a signal that something terrible had happened to Navi. It sent uneasiness throughout every part of his body.

Then he felt the warmth from his companion and the blanket draped over both of them, and soon he calmed down enough to drift off into an uncomfortable sleep once again.

It didn't last long, as he was once again raised from a restless sleep. However, it wasn't because of dreams... It was because of a noise he heard nearby.

The snapping of a branch.

He knew he wasn't crazy, because Epona was wide awake as well, her head staring off into the woods ahead of them. An eerie feeling washed over the wooded area as Link tried desperately to pick up any more sounds.

A footstep sounded directly behind him.

Before Link could so much as turn his head, a bag was thrown over his face. As he struggled to remove it, somebody much larger than him tackled his small body to the dirt, hard.

He heard Epona moving around beside him to stand up, followed by a rough-sounding male voice shouting, "Somebody get the horse!"

"Epona!" Link shouted between grunts as he attempted to wrestle his face away from the rough burlap sack that was draped around him. A strong hand held his head into the groun.

The next sensation the boy felt was a heavy, blunt object colliding with the back of his skull. His eyes immediately rolled back as consciousness left him.

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**End:**_ Chapter One: Termina Behind; New Places Ahead_  



	2. Cyrus

**_Years Away_**  
By Joker's Specter

_Chapter Two: Cyrus_

* * *

Link drifted in and out of consciousness for a while. He couldn't see due to the burlap sack that was covering his face. When he managed to stay awake for more than a few seconds at a time, he took in as much information as he could to gauge his situation. The first thing he discovered was that he was on the back of a horse, and the horse wasn't Epona. It was a full-grown horse that didn't have the smooth galloping abilities Epona seemed to have mastered.

The next thing Link realized, once he tried to move around a bit, was that his hands were bound behind his back. That wasn't surprising, but it was definitely irritating. It put him in a spot where the best thing to do was to pretend he was still knocked out. Following that decision, any time he managed to keep the pain away long enough to stay conscious, he stayed as still as possible.

Speaking of pain, the third thing the Hylian realized was that he had a massive headache. He only realized that when the adrenaline left him as he forced himself to calm down. At first he thought it was just a minor bump, but apparently whoever attacked him had clocked him pretty hard in the skull. Every time the throbbing gradually built up until it sent a ringing sensation through the boy's brain, he knew he was seconds from passing out.

In the midst of his internal battle to stay awake, he picked up snippets of conversation between the people who had attacked him. As he focused his elf-like ears hard to listen to what they had to say, he discovered three unique voices; all of them were full-grown men.

"...can't be one of Kain's men...green clothes aren't..."

The ringing through Link's head made it hard for him to pick up most of what was being said between the men.

"...don't care...trespassing..." the deepest of the voices said.

The ringing became a throbbing as Link got the sensation that someone was having a fist fight with the back of his head.

"He's just a kid...what...with his horse?"

Link bit his lip to stop himself from groaning in pain.

"...it..."

A shockwave of pain travelled from the back of Link's head to every nerve in his body. He clenched his stomach in an attempt to stop himself from throwing up.

"...seems...right age...your daughter."

A chorus of demon laughter rang out through the night. It took Link a moment to realize it wasn't a horde of foul creatures, but instead it was just the men laughing. The pain was twisting and turning every sensation Link felt into a horrifying experience that played with his senses. Despite that, he didn't want to pass out. He needed to know what was being said.

What were they talking about, anyway? He couldn't concentrate, and soon he felt the fuzzy numbness that heralded unconsciousness travel from his fingertips and toes throughout his body. Before he passed out again, his sharp ears picked up a few more words.

"...stupid Fairy Shrine...reason...Kain...attacking us..."

Darkness engulfed the young boy.

**!-K- -A- -T- -A- -R-!  
!-A- -F- -A- -C- -E-!**

When Link woke up again, he wasn't on a horse anymore. Instead, he was being carried by someone with weak arms. He knew this because they kept dropping him and dragging him.

"Hey! Tolgi!" shouted a voice from far off, "Bronzen said to be careful with him!"

The man carrying Link was breathing heavily. "Well, I could, if you would stop bein' lazy and help me!" he yelled back. Immediately after, Link slipped from his grasp again and landed hard.

Grunting in pain as he collided with the hard floor, Link rolled over and tried to climb to his feet. "Just let me walk!" he groaned.

There was a moment of silence as Link wondered if maybe they were actually considering it. Before he could get his hopes too high, the man apparently named Tolgi clonked Link on the back of his head again. The pain electrified Link, and blackness overtook him again just as he smacked into the hard floor again.

Dreams, memories, and nightmares flooded Link's unconscious form. For the longest time he didn't know what was real as he coasted through his subconscious thoughts, trying to make sense of it all.

Far from being able to do so, Link finally woke up again, this time with the bag removed from his head and his hands untied. The reason for that, he figured, was that they had contained him in some sort of jail cell. It was fairly light, due to the sun shining through the barred windows set into each of the four sides of the building.

As Link came to and was beginning to grasp the situation, he took the time to study his surroundings, he allowed his eyes to scan the rest of the room. Other than his own cell, there were five other cells that were laid out against two walls of the room; three on the wall opposite of him, and two to either side of his own cell.

Link sat up where he had been laying on the cold stone flooring of his cell and studied the occupants of the jail. There were four people in the room with him, three of which were captives like himself. The other person was apparently a guard, seated at a chair near the door that opened to the outside. The guard was busy amusing himself with a card game.

On the cell to Link's right was a girl that looked to be about twelve years old; right around Link's age. She had long brown hair, and was wearing some clothes that you'd see a peasant wearing. The girl looked like she was asleep on the small bed in the corner of her cell.

Link wondered where his own bed was, since there wasn't one to be found in his cell. Brushing the thought off, he put his attention on the boy in the cell to his right. The young man looked like he was sixteen or seventeen years old. The brunette had short, messy hair that stuck up at odd angles. Like the girl to Link's left, the boy was wearing a commoner's attire. They appeared to be ripped and shredded in some sections, as if he had been in a brawl.

The brown-eyed boy was leaning against the far wall of his cell, deep in thought. After a few moments, he noticed that Link was staring at him. his mouth turned into a crooked, amused smile, and he leaned his head back against the stone wall and closed his eyes.

In the cell across the room and on Link's right was a muscular adult that looked to be middle-aged. His black hair was starting to turn gray, and his sharp eyes were dark and focused. He had a nervous expression on his face as he paced back and forth throughout his cell.

Link's attention was drawn to the man's clothing. Unlike the other two prisoners, the older man had an outfit that resembled something you might find in a royal court. It reminded Link of Hyrule Castle and all of the Lords and Ladies that often came and went.  
Standing up, the blonde boy flinched in pain. Despite the headache Link had, he walked to the front of the cell, managing to stay steady on his feet.

"Excuse me. Where...where am I?" he asked the guard. The overweight guard looked at Link, made a small laugh, and then resumed playing with his cards.

Link looked around to the other people for help. Nobody seemed to have paid him any attention yet, so he walked up to the bars that he shared with the other boy's cell and asked the question again. "Can you tell me where I am? And where my horse might be?" he inquired.

The boy opened his eyes, made his crooked smile again, and said, "You know... I don't recognize you."

Link shrugged. "I don't recognize you, either," he replied simply.

The boy's smirk widened. "Aren't you supposed to be one of my dad's men?" he asked. He pushed himself off of the wall gently with his back and began to stride forward towards Link. If the bars hadn't been between them, Link might have felt threatened. It was at that moment that he realized he didn't have any of his gear, either. Not that it surprised him, of course, but it was was very unpleasant to think about.

"Yeah... Green clothes. No clue where you are, _and_ you own a horse," the boy said, studying Link with his calculating eyes. "I tried to tell these morons that you're not one of us, but naturally they didn't listen. That's the problem with 'em; they won't listen to reason," he added, and began to pace around his cell.

Link wasn't sure what to make of the boy's sudden ranting. At a loss for words, he simply stood there and listened as the prisoner continued.

"All they do is assume," the boy said, visibly getting angry. "Just like they assume my little sister over there is dangerous." He motioned to the girl in the cell behind Link, and then went on. "And just like they assume that my father, Kain, is trying to rob them of their land." He kicked the wall in disgust, then seemed to calm down slightly.

Link watched the boy with a wondering expression. Robbing of land usually involved battles and wars. It made Link feel worried inwardly as he wondered just what he had gotten himself into.

The brunette boy turned to Link and folded his arms. "To answer your question, kid, you're in the town of Keystone. I have no clue where your horse is; chances are they kept it for themselves, because they like to use 'em. The rotten King himself has over ten for his personal use, I hear," he said with a bitter tone.

"Wow," Link managed to say. Who needed ten horses just for their own use?

"You see kid, those of us living under my father's authority don't get many horses over where we've set up camp, so we don't use 'em. Instead, we use other animals that can carry our weight. Whatever can match a horse for speed, we'll try out."

The story was beginning to fascinate Link. It seemed like every land he came to outside of Hyrule had its own distinct feel to it. Exactly what kind of animals could be ridden other than a horse, anyway? A cow?

"By the way..." the boy said, stepping forward. "I didn't catch your name."

Link straightened up. "Oh... my name's Link."

The boy looked at Link and smiled crookedly again. "My name's Cyrus. My little sister over there is named Crystal." Again he pointed to the young girl behind Link.

A thought crossed Link's aching head. "Say, Cyrus..." he said quietly. He turned to make sure the guard was still entranced by the card game, and then continued. "Do you know of a way out of here?"

Cyrus stopped smiling, glanced at the guard, and said, "Not unless you want to be a slave at the palace. You'd naturally get zero freedom... Nothing... It's basically like staying here at the jail, except you'd have physical work required of you. The only good thing is that you get nicer clothes, and sometimes good food."

"Oh..." was Link's only reply. He felt a little down, and began looking around the cell in an attempt to formulate a plan to escape. Still a little dizzy, Link decided he should sit back down. Nothing in his cell provided him with an ample surface to sit on, so he had to make do with the floor.

About ten minutes later the guard rose to his feet. He stretched his pudgy arms and walked out of the building, closing the door behind him. Cyrus' eyes had been watching the guard the entire time.

As soon as the guard was out the door, Cyrus walked back up to the bars separating him and Link. "Actually, yes, I think I know of a way out," he said with a smirk. "I just didn't want the guard to hear it so they could fix the problem."

Link stood up from where he had slumped against the wall. "Really?" he questioned. He still didn't know what to make of the other boy, so it was within reason to be hesitant.

Cyrus nodded. "I would've definitely tried to escape, too, if it weren't for two reasons. The first reason being Crystal."

The Hero looked back at the girl called Crystal. The brunette girl hadn't woken up the entire time since Link had regained consciousness.

"She's sick, and I don't know if I could get her out of here with me..." Cyrus explained.

As Cyrus had started talking, the man in the other cell stopped pacing and was listening in on the conversation. After Cyrus finished telling Link about Crystal, the man gripped the bars and leaned his face against them. "Ahh, Cyrus," the man said with an amused smile. "You're just as crafty and devious as your father if you've truly discovered a way out of this wretched place."

It was the first time Link had heard the man speak. His voice was low and strong, but still had a hint of worry behind it.

"Of course you realize that the King has mistaken me as one of your father's spies, right?" the man said bitterly.

"As I was explaining to Link over here, your people assume things way too quickly," was Cyrus' only reply.

Link wasn't sure what to make of the two prisoners, but he didn't want to have a debate start while he was still there. Interjecting between their argument, he said, "Cyrus, what if I helped you escape with your sister?"

Cyrus' eyebrows shot up, surprised at Link's proposal.

"The only catch is that I'll need you to help me find my horse. I'm sure you know this town a little better than I do," Link added. He surprised himself at how articulate he was being, despite the throbbing pain in his head. It was a good sign that he didn't have any brain damage.

Cyrus was silent for a minute, then he went on to smile the crooked smile that came so easily to him. "That'd be great, Link, if it weren't for the second reason I haven't escaped yet."

"Second reason?" Link forgot about that.

The smile left Cyrus' face. "We can't escape without an outside contact," the brunette boy explained as he sat down on his thin bed. "I really wish we could make it work. I really want to get my sister some help... The King of Keystone won't do anything to help her, and neither will the guards as long as they're under his orders."

Link was puzzled. He leaned forward against the bars, holding onto them, and asked, "Why won't the King do anything to help?"

Cyrus shook his head with a lost look in his eyes. "He thinks that all 'Kain scum' should die anyway," he said in a voice layered with sadness.

Link was about to reply when the door to the jail opened. Two guards decked out in armor strode into the room.

"You," one of them said, pointing to Link. "You're to come with me." The large guard walked up to the door to Link's cell and unlocked he. He handed off the ring of keys to the other guard as he swung the door open and approached the young boy.

Link shot a glance to Cyrus as he walked out with the guard, silently wishing he could do more to help the siblings before he left.

Cyrus sighed heavily and watched as what might have been a hope of escaping disappear before his eyes.

"The kid's dead meat," Cyrus said sadly.

* * *

**End:**_ Chapter Two: Cyrus_  



	3. Meeting the King, Godoro

**_Years Away_**  
By Joker's Specter

_Chapter Three: Meeting the King, Godoro_

* * *

Link was forced to walk between the two guards as he exited the jail and stepped into the bright, sunny, warm streets of what seemed to be a large town. He observed the stone street he was on and noticed many houses lined up along the road. Behind the jail was a reinforced wall, which ran around the town providing a protective barrier. Glancing down the road, Link saw a fountain in the middle of a market area that appeared to be in the center that particular district. It reminded him a lot of Hyrule Castle's market.

"C'mon," said the guard behind Link, who looked to be about in his late forties. He had gray, thinning hair, but still appeared strong. As they walked down the road in the direction of the market, the guard kept pushing Link and telling him to go faster. Even though Link wanted to stop and look around, he knew if he didn't co-operate, he might not even be alive to find Epona and continue his search for Navi.

The trio entered the market, which was bustling with activity from all types of people. Merchants were peddling their wares to buyers, while spectators stood back and watched the enthusiastic sales pitches or intense auctions. Link saw items for sell that he had never encountered before. The Hero thought he'd seen it all.

The guards led link down a wide road that branched off from the market and headed toward a large castle structure that was concealed by even more tall walls. As the three ascended the guarded staircase, Link had to squint as he palace-like castle gleamed brightly in the sunlight, accentuating that it was the fanciest place in the entire town. A healthy lawn and garden stretched out around all sides of the castle.

As Link walked with the guards down the straight, smooth walkway that cut through the lawn towards the castle doors, he heard horses from far off. From the sound of things, Link deduced there must be stables behind the castle. He stopped and listened carefully for a familiar horse.

"Get movin'," said the guard behind him calmly, while once again pushing Link forward by his shoulders. Link withheld his desire to run towards the stables and continued through the castle doors.

When the boy entered the castle, he wasn't sure what to expect. It seemed to him like all castles were developed by the same architect, as he noted that the entry room for the castle was very typical, much like Hyrule Castle. There were tapestries, a red carpet, and a stairway at the far end that led upwards. Aside from that, there were hallways branching off in several directions.

As Link thought of Hyrule Castle, he couldn't help but think of the land of Hyrule itself. He wished he were back in Hyrule, with his friends. He wouldn't have even minded seeing Mido or Ingo... Anything familiar would lift his spirits.

"Go on, up the stairs," the guard said, motioning in front of Link.

Sighing, Link continued on up the stairs, following the guard that had already headed up. When he got to the top, the two guards guided him down a winding hallway to a large door at the end. Standing next to the thick wooden door was yet another guard. Based on the location, Link guessed he was about to enter the throne room.

"Tell the King that I have brought him the prisoner that Commander Bronzen caught trespassing last night, as he requested," said Link's more verbal escort.

Trespassing? Link couldn't help but wonder just why they thought he was trespassing. Who could possibly own a little patch of trees out in the middle of nowhere?

Or, more accurately, who was smug enough to believe they owned it?

"Wait here for a moment," said the guard beside the door. He cracked open the entryway and disappeared inside for a few seconds. When he came out, he stated in an official voice, "The Great King Godoro will see you now."

The guard who had pushed Link along nodded. "Thank you," he said. He then turned to his companion. "That will be all. Return to your post," he ordered.

Link and his now singular escort entered through the door and came upon a large room with many tapestries hung high up on the walls. Hanging between some of the tapestries were many paintings of old men with crowns on their heads. Link realized they must have been all of the kings of older generations for the town.

The only thing on the floor other than smooth, glimmering tile and the most elaborate looking throne Link had ever seen was a red carpet that ran through the middle of the floor to the end of the room and stopped right before the throne. Standing beside the throne were two heavily-armored guards. Seated high up in the throne was the King.

"Sire, you asked me to retrieve the prisoner for you?" asked the guard loudly.

"Yes, yes... Bring him closer," replied King Godoro impatiently. The guard pushed Link forward, and then quickly bowed to the King. When the guard looked up and saw Link not doing the same, he got angry.

"You _will_ bow before his Highness!" he exclaimed angrily.

Link seemed to ponder on that for a moment, which clearly aggravated the man beside him. "I shouldn't have to bow before a King who isn't my own. Especially one who imprisons me without explanation..."

The guard seemed surprised. His shocked expression turned to one of anger, and he appeared as if he were about to lash out to Link.

Before he could do anything, the King cut him off. "The lad is right, you know."

Even more surprised than before, the guard managed to stutter out, "But...but sire!"

"Go wait outside, Tolgi," the King ordered dismissively. "I will call for you when you are needed."

Link looked at his escort kneeling on the ground, remembering the person who had dropped him the previous night. If they were one and the same, then he wasn't really as strong as he appeared.

Tolgi appeared to be stunned, and then hurt. He rose to his feet, dipped his head to the King, and hastily walked out of the room, grumbling about disrespect.

Link turned to the King to get a good look at the man. The King was wearing a blue robe of sorts that had maroon mixed in with it. Completing royal appearance was a shimmering, jeweled, golden crown nestled on top of his light brown hair. His facial features were strong and firm, yet he had a hint of something suspicious in his bright eyes. He looked far too young to be a King; maybe around his early thirties or so.

"So, boy... What did you say your name was again?" asked the King, giving Link his undivided attention.

Shrugging, Link replied, "I didn't. My name is Link."

"Ah, I see. Young Link, could you perhaps tell me why you don't have the appearance of one of Kain's men?" questioned Godoro.

This time, Link folded his arms. "Because I'm _not_ one of his followers. I don't even know who he is. All I know is that I was camping out somewhere, and when I woke up, i was being attacked," he said. The boy hoped his explanation would allow him to leave. He was eager to leave as soon as possible so he could continue his quest.

The King eyed Link for a minute, observing him. "If you aren't one of his men, then why were you trespassing in my land?"

Link broke the eye contact and looked at the King's feet. "It's...hard to explain. Basically, I'm searching for a friend, whom I lost a while ago," he said sadly.

"I see. So, Link, where is your destination?"

"I...don't know," Link answered truthfully, looking the King in the eyes again.

The King nodded, seemingly deep in thought. When he snapped out of his trance, he motioned one of his guards over. After the King whispered in his ear, the guard nodded and proceeded to leave the throne room.

"So tell me Link... Where is it that you come from?" asked Godoro.

As much as Link would have liked to leave, he knew he didn't have a high chance of just walking out of there. The King would probably have guards all over him if he tried. Instead, he decided to be safe and play it the King's way.

Mentally censoring important details, Link explained all that he thought the King would be satisfied with. "I'm originally from a forest from Hyrule, by the name of Kokiri Forest. After I lost my friend, I left Hyrule to search for her. I haven't been searching for long, but I was most recently in the land of Termina. Before I was captured, that's where I had come from."

"Ahh, yes, Termina... I know of that place," the King said with a smirk. "I've been there twice myself. It is a strange land... Almost dream-like. And oddly enough, you can never get in the same way twice."

Link was surprised to hear that. He couldn't even begin to understand how an entire land could be so difficult to enter. But then, it didn't matter; why would he want to return to Termina?

The King went on. "Leaving the land is easy enough; all you have to do is continue on through the forest, and eventually you'll break free of its...how should I put this... Magic?"

That sounded about right. "Continuing on..." Link said, obviously not wanting to remember Termina more than he had to," I've been searching for quite a while now, and I would like to continue my search, if I may. I'll just need my horse and my things so I ca-"

"Such a fine horse," King Godoro interjected. "I managed to take a look at it earlier this morning. Although she's young, she will grow up to be an amazing creature... You can trust me on that; I know my horses."

Link didn't bother explaining that he already knew what Epona would be like when she was full-size. "Yes... Well..." he started to say, disliking the King more and more.

"Speaking of your horse, lad, I was wondering if I may purchase it? I will pay you a fine sum, as she is a fine horse," Godoro said, interrupting Link once again.

"M-My horse? I... I could never sell Epona; she's my only friend I have on the road!" replied Link, a little stunned at such an offer.

King Godoro grinned and waved Link's concerns off. "I could give you replacement horse if you wish. And regarding friendship, I believe you and I are friends now, boy," he said with a mischievous expression.

Link now understood what Cyrus meant by how the people of Keystone assuming everything. He was about to tell the King that the answer was still no when the door to the throne room was thrown open.

Three men strode into the spacious room. The one that stood out from the other two and appeared to be the lead had chin-length blonde hair, some dark colored clothing, and a black cape. The other two men were the average guard-type that Link had seen all day long, one of them being the very guard Godoro had sent on an errand earlier. The two guards were carrying all of Link's equipment.

His heart skipping a beat, Link turned to the King. "Does this mean I can go?" he asked, hopeful.

The King once again smiled at him. "Not quite..." he chuckled.

* * *

**End:**_ Chapter Three: Meeting the King, Godoro_  



	4. The Guest of Honor

**_Years Away_****_  
_By Joker's Specter**

**_Chapter Four: _**_The Guest of Honor_

* * *

"What do you mean?" asked Link, wide-eyed. He wasn't used to being told when he could or could not leave. For a moment he thought the King was actually going to let him go, until he remembered that he had arrived in the throne room as a prisoner.

"I understand you were carrying these weapons with you when Commander Bronzen," he motioned to the man in the black cape," and his men found you last night," said the King.

Link turned around to look at the three men who had recently entered the room. Commander Bronzen had no expression on his face, but the two guards seemed nervous... Something was about to happen; Link could feel it. He knew that it wasn't going to be good, either.

"You summoned me, your Highness?" asked Bronzen while taking a bow. The two guards behind him mimicked the Commander.

"I did, Bronzen. I'll get to you in a moment; allow me to finish my conversation with young Link here," he said, pointing to Link.

For the first time since entering the room, Bronzen looked at Link. While a blank expression remained on the older man's face, Link couldn't help but feel like he was transparent. It was as if Bronzen could stare right through him and see all his thoughts and feelings. It made him highly uncomfortable.

The King resumed his little talk. "Now, Link, seeing as how you and I have become such close friends, I'm going to give you an opportunity that most people will never have the chance to come across."

Link was a little curious, but still braced himself for whatever the King's idea of an opportunity might be.

"I'm going to allow you to duel my Commander here as a test of your skill. Such a fine horse as the one you have shouldn't live with a master who can't hold his own in a one-on-one duel. Am I right about that?" the King asked, appearing smug.

The guards murmured their agreement.

"But you can't do that!" Link exclaimed while clenching his fists. He stared hard into the King's eyes.

"Well, you see, Link... You aren't in a position to argue. I have your horse in my custody, and if you disagree, you will be surrounded by my men in an instant and executed," said the King, smiling the whole time. "Since you and I are friends, I would hate to see you go like that."

Link was getting angry. He couldn't possibly understand why Godoro would do something so horrible. In the end, though, the boy didn't have many options. If he wanted to get Epona back, he was going to do it one way or the other.

"Alright," Link said, defeated. His arms fell to his side. "I accept."

"Very good! This will be a very big event. You see, Link, my town has grown rather...boring, lately, since all of the battles with Kain occur outside of the gates. We have a small battle arena that never gets used. Since you accepted, we will have you and the Commander duel there," said the overly excited King.

Bronzen bowed his head. "Sire, if I may... Are you sure this is a good idea? He is only a weak little boy; he may get critically injured."

King Godoro waved his hand in a dismissive manner and said, "Don't worry about that. If he does happen to take on injuries, we have the best curing facility of all: The Fairy Shrine!"

"Yes, my King," replied Bronzen, effectively removing himself from the conversation.

"Wait... What do you mean by 'Fairy Shrine'?" questioned Link.

The King's eyes narrowed on Link. "It is none of your concern. Not yet, anyway," he answered.

The boy knew what the Godoro meant by that. If Link was hurt in his duel, then this so-called Fairy Shrine was the best way they had to heal him. He wondered if maybe Navi was at the Shrine. If she were there, he'd have to find out where it was and check it out.

"The event will take place three days from now. That should give us ample time to prepare for it. Until then, lad, you will stay here in my castle as my, ahem, 'Guest of Honor', under careful watch. I don't want you trying to run off. I will, however, allow you to walk freely in the living quarters of the castle," the King said, as if he had everything planned out the entire time.

"Th-Three days?" Link said weakly. His hopes of getting out of there with Epona and finding Navi were dropping more and more.

"That is correct," the King said. Then he raised his hands. "Everyone dismissed!" he added, slapping his hands together.

Link watched as the three men left the room, carrying all of his things with them. The King obviously didn't want Link to have them in his possession.

"My guard will take you to your room, boy. Remember: you are confined to your room and the rest of the living quarters. The living quarters of the castle is located on the bottom floor; the exception being my own room," the King said, staring hard at Link. "You are not allowed to travel up a level, or into the basement."

The sole guard remaining in the throne room motioned for Link to follow him. Link trailed behind the guard slowly, wanting to just run away from Keystone, the King, and everything around him. He just wanted to find Navi...

**!-F- -E- -E- -F- -I-!  
!-F- -O- -F- -U- -M-!**

The guard stopped in front of a wooden doorway halfway through a long hallway that was lit by many torches. "In here is your room," the man said half-heartedly. "The other rooms on this floor are the housing sections for Commander Bronzen, his wife Nell, his daughter Tifa, and any other high ranking soldiers and their families." The guard then turned away and walked down the hallway in the direction they had just come from, leaving Link all alone.

Link looked down both ends of the hallway, and then cracked open the door to his room. After peering in and deeming it safe, he opened the door the rest of the way and walked in.

The room was small for a castle bedroom, from what Link had seen. It had a two-person bed to the left wall as the boy walked in, with a window in the center of the same wall. A tall wardrobe was placed in the opposite corner from the bed, sandwiching the window between them. On the opposite wall was a picture of the castle, and below that was a simple wooden table with an even simpler chair. Placed atop the table was a candle.

Link was at least happy to see a real bed. His head still hurt from being knocked out, and sleeping on the cold stone floor of his jail cell hadn't done him any good. Even though it was the middle of the day, Link decided he'd better catch up on his sleep while he could.

Approaching the bed, Link saw that it was one of the fancy type of beds that had curtains you could pull around it. While it was typical for a bed found in a castle, it certainly surprised him when compared to the rest of the furniture in the room. But who was he to complain?

Link laid his head down on the soft pillow, not even bothering to pull the curtains around, and closed his blue eyes.

**!-F- -E- -E- -F- -I-!  
!-F- -O- -F- -U- -M-!**

Link had another dream. While he could usually find some meaning in most of his dreams, he couldn't figure anything out from his newest nightmare. All he could pick out were numerous images. Things he'd seen amongst things he hadn't. In all of the images that he'd experienced before, Navi was there. The same was for the things he hadn't seen. The strange part was that in all of the images he could definitely say he'd never encountered before, he couldn't see himself in them at all. No green-clothed blonde Hylian to be found in a single one. He didn't even feel the self-awareness that he often felt.

It was as if in those new images, he wasn't dreaming for himself.

He couldn't decide if he was seeing made-up images, or what Navi had seen. The latter made sense when he thought about it, but they were all a jumble of pictures that he couldn't make out. His subconscious began to travel through them all again, giving him a second look, when he was thrust awake by a loud sound.

Link opened his sleepy, heavy eyes to find himself back in the room the King placed him in. The sun was still in the sky, bathing his room in its light. The young boy didn't have to wonder what had woken him up for long. A loud, continuous knock sounded at his door.

"Just a second," Link said loudly, letting whoever was knocking on the door know that he was awake. He didn't remember locking the door, so the person didn't _need_ to knock. He reasoned that at least they were polite enough to knock, despite how annoying it was.

Yawning, Link stretched and jumped off of the bed. He hesitated, then walked over to the wooden door. Gripping the knob, he opened the door, and found himself staring at an unexpected sight.

"Hey, he's cuter than I thought he would be," said one of the two girls at the door. The one who had spoken had a face that reminded Link somewhat of Princess Zelda, except that her hair was about chin-length and blonde with some natural faint red streaked throughout it. Also, it was obvious the girl wasn't made for dresses, as she had her sleeves rolled up and her shoes were non-existent.

"E-Excuse me?" stuttered Link, not knowing what to say. He certainly didn't expect someone to greet him with that.

"Oh, yeah, uh... Sorry about my 'rudeness'. My name's Tifa, and this here is Piper," she said, pointing to the girl beside her. The shorter girl had light-blue hair, with eyes to match and a small, pale face. She gave a small wave to Link.

Both girls looked to be around Link's age, if not a little older.

"We came over to welcome you here," Tifa said. She walked past Link into the room, and then immediately sat on the bed.

Link looked from Tifa to the door, then back to Tifa. "Oh, um...that's nice of you, I guess," he replied. The boy then turned to look at the girl named Piper, who was still standing out in the hallway.

"Um, may I come in?" she asked politely in a quiet voice.

Shrugging, Link stepped aside and said, "Sure."

The differences in the girls were very noticeable. Link categorized Tifa as a loud, pushy, obnoxious girl, and Piper fell into the category of the quiet type who followed the outgoing ones.

Shutting the door, Link turned around and was a little surprised to see Tifa jumping up and down on his bed. Meanwhile, Piper was standing silently by the wardrobe.

"So...how's...life?" asked Tifa. She said a word each time her feet hit the bed.

"Good, I guess," said Link. He admittedly didn't know what else to say. The situations that plagued him continued to get stranger and stranger.

"I...know...you're...lying...because...everyone's...afraid...of...fighting...my...dad," the girl said, still bouncing.

"Your dad?"

Tifa stopped bouncing and sat down on the edge of the bed, saying, "Yeah. Bronzen, the guy you gotta duel in three days? It's going to be fun! Only the richest people will be able to get good seats, so I can already tell it's going to be a big event. Since my dad's dueling, I should get a front row seat!"

A sickening feeling washed over Link's stomach. He wasn't used to fighting in front of an audience, let alone in front of what sounded like thousands of people. As much as he wanted to run away, he knew he couldn't; he had to fight in order to save Epona.

A quizzical look came over Tifa's face. "Are you some kind of knight? I can't understand why my dad would duel someone like you," she said, eyeing Link closely.

"I...uh. No, not really," answered Link. He certainly didn't classify himself as a knight, despite the life destiny had given him so far.

"Oh," Tifa said, losing interest in observing Link. "You may as well be a court jester then, because only brave knights get recognized around here."

"Er, okay..." replied Link, confused. He wasn't even sure what a court jester was. He thought maybe it was a type of monster.

Continuing her questioning, Tifa asked, "So how come you came to this boring place? There's nothing fun here, because all of the battles with Kain take place out and about. There aren't even any cute boys living here."

Link wasn't sure why cute boys would matter to him. More importantly, he realized that Tifa was pressing him for something. He just couldn't figure out what it was.

"It's a long story. I'll just say I'm looking for my friend. She's been missing for a while," Link answered truthfully.

"She?" asked Tifa, suddenly getting more interested in what Link had to say.

"Yeah; Navi the Fairy."

"A fairy? I see," said Tifa, losing interest yet again. She flopped her head back on the pillow and stared up at the ceiling.

"Excuse me," Piper said, sounding a little hesitant. Link had almost forgotten that she was there. "There are a lot of fairies at the Fairy Shrine. Perhaps your friend is there..." she added, not making eye-contact with Link. It was obvious she wasn't used to talking to strangers.

"I was thinking that too, actually. I heard the King mention it," Link said in agreement.

Piper looked up and smiled.

"The only problem is that I don't know what or where the Fairy Shrine is," Link added with a sigh. He walked to the desk, turned the chair around, and sat down in it while facing the bed.

"Well, that's no problem," Tifa said, sitting up. "I could take you there.

"You could?" asked Link, amazed. He felt his depression leaving him.

A conniving smile spread over Tifa's face. "For a price, of course."

Link raised an eyebrow. "What price?" he asked.

Tifa thought about it for a moment. "Well, to my understanding, you don't have any money with you... And anything you had on you would've been taken away. Am I right?"

A nod from Link.

"In that case, it has to be something else," the blonde girl said, still pondering. Suddenly, she appeared to have a bright idea. "I know!" she exclaimed. She looked to Piper and grinned, then looked back at Link. "If I can take you to the Shrine, then you have to be my boyfriend and do whatever I say!"

Piper started to giggle, and Tifa leaned in closely, waiting for Link to answer.

"What?" yelled Link. He could feel his face turning red. "No, no... There has to be another way. I can't be your boyfriend; I'm trying to leave this place!" he added, trying to hold back his anger.

Tifa was by no means ugly, but Link didn't need somebody chasing him while he tried to complete his quest. Not only that, but twelve is far too young to settle down, as he saw it.

"Well, it's your choice," Tifa said with a shrug. She fell back on the bed, flopping her head down on the pillow. "Be my boyfriend, or you don't get to see the shrine."

Piper had stopped giggling now and was watching the two carefully.

Link was starting to feel like every aspect of his life was out of his control. It seemed like the people of Keystone loved forcing him to do things. Once again, he didn't have much choice in a decision.

"Fine... I'll be your boyfriend," Link said harshly.

Tifa sat up again, giggling. "Great! I'll be in later tonight to take you to the Shrine. It could be like our first date!" she teased.

The two girls left the room, giggling and laughing hysterically, leaving a red-faced Link behind them.

"What did I get myself into...?" Link asked nobody in particular. He sighed and shut his bedroom door.

* * *

**End:**_ Chapter Four: The Guest of Honor_


	5. Three Apples and a Little Lady

**_Years Away_****_  
_By Joker's Specter**

**_Chapter Five: _**_Three Apples and a Little Lady_

* * *

Link sat down on the bed. What should he do now? What _could_ he do? His life had been spun upside down.

After around ten minutes of sitting and thinking, his stomach started to make noises.

Twisting his face in frustration, Link decided that the best thing to do was to get some food. It wasn't productive, but at least it was something that didn't involve sitting around and waiting for life to throw another surprise at him. The boy wasn't one to eat much, but he had gone without food for almost two days, and he was going to need some before he left for the shrine that night.

Link stood up and walked out of his room into the long, bright, torch-lit hallway. He didn't know where he was supposed to go to get food, or what he could eat once he got to whatever they used as a kitchen.

He shrugged off the thought for the moment and started to walk in the direction he had hadn't traveled down before. The boy regretted not asking for a tour of the place. It would have made things a lot easier if he knew where he could go eat, so he didn't accidentally wander into some forbidden kitchen.

After walking past three doors that looked identical to his own, Link heard some sort of an argument going on inside the nearest doorway. He paused and moved a little closer, tilting his head to listen better.

"Father, please! Calm down!" yelled a girl's voice. It sounded a lot like Piper, except that Link couldn't be sure since he had yet to hear her speak loudly.

"No! All I do is show him loyalty, and he never even takes notice!" shouted a slurred voice. It also sounded very familiar to Link. He also detected the tell-tale signs that the person was drunk.

The voice continued. "He never notices! It should be me leading the army against Kain!"

Link heard the girl begging whoever the man was to calm down again. He then heard some glass breaking.

After a few seconds, Link heard the male's voice say, "I'm off my shift, so I'm going to sleep. Go play with Tifa or something." The slurred voice registered in Link's head, and he realized belonged to Tolgi, the guard.

Ten seconds later the door burst open and Piper ran out of the room, colliding into Link. Both of them fell back into the hallway and on the floor.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going!" explained an embarrassed Piper. Link could see she had recently been crying. Her eyes were red, and the obvious signs of tears remained on her face.

"That's okay," Link replied, climbing to his feet. He reached down to help Piper up, and then brushed himself off.

Piper fiddled with her clothes, removing any wrinkles, and checked to make sure the pony-tail she had pulled her light-blue hair back into was still in tact. Link noticed that she was wearing a different dress than before. It resembled some sort of a formal dinner dress.

"Thank you," Piper said, obviously still embarrassed. Her eyes refused to look at Link, instead focusing on the ground while she sniffed and cleaned her face off with the back of her hand.

"So, um... What happened?" asked Link, pointing to her red eyes.

Piper's face flushed even more. "Oh..." she said, trying to wipe her eyes with her hand again. "So you didn't hear everything after all? I thought you might have..."

"Well, I heard... But why was he acting like that?" asked Link, concern laced through his tone.

A shrug from Piper. "He had a bad day... Usually if my father has a bad day, he'll come to the room and drink. Then he starts to yell a lot before he finally goes to bed," she said quietly, still avoiding eye-contact.

"Your father? Does he hurt you at all?" Link questioned.

"No, no... He just yells," replied Piper. She sniffed and wiped at her eyes again.

Link could tell that she didn't really want to discuss what had just happened, so the boy decided to change the subject so something simpler.

"Say, Piper... Do you know where I can find something to eat?" he asked. He paused for a moment, then added, "I'm so hungry I could eat an octorok."

The blonde boy didn't _really_ eat octoroks. He just wanted to make a joke in an attempt to cheer Piper up. Nobody in their right mind would eat an octorok.

Piper stared blankly at Link with her big, blue eyes. "A what?" she asked.

Link realized they must not have octoroks around their land. "Uh, never mind. But do you know where I can find something to eat?"

"Oh, yes. I can show you if you'd like," Piper said.

Nodding, Link said, "You'll be my favorite person in this castle if you do."

Even though the compliment wasn't that great, since to that point Link didn't much enjoy being around anybody in Keystone's castle, a red tint appeared on Piper's cheeks.

"Uh. The kitchen is this way," she said quickly, more nervous than before.

Link scratched his head and wondered if maybe she misheard him. Shrugging it off, he began to follow Piper as she traveled in the direction the hero had originally planned to go.

"So... What does your mother think of your father?" asked Link, walking up to Piper's side.

Stiffening a bit, Piper answered, "I never knew my mother."

"Ah, I'm sorry..." Link replied quickly, feeling guilty about asking her the question.

Piper's shoulders relaxed a bit. "It's alright. I never exactly knew my real father, either. Both of my parents died before I could remember. Tolgi took me in, though, because I guess he was my father's best friend. Even my earliest memories are of living with Tolgi, so I just call him 'Father', because that's what he is to me," she explained.

Link nodded to show he understood.

"He does a pretty good job of being a father, too," Piper went on. "That is...when he doesn't get drunk."

"Yeah..." Link said. It was all he could think of to say. He'd never had family relations, so he was the last person to give advice on it.

"My real name isn't even Piper, you know," Piper said, turning to look at Link. "It's just what people call me because I can play the flute really well."

Link's thoughts went back to his Ocarina that was being held somewhere in the castle.

"My real name is Shia. I'd rather be called Shia, but I guess Piper just stuck with me. Most people prefer it," the girl added, looking straight ahead again.

"So...do you want me to call you Piper or Shia?" asked Link hesitantly. Better to ask than to assume, he thought.

"I'd prefer Shia," she answered.

The two walked in silence for a minute. After it became uncomfortable, Link glanced over at Shia and said, "I didn't know my parents either. I wasn't supposed to."

This prompted an interested look from Shia.

"In fact," Link went on, "until I found out I was a Hylian, I didn't even think I _had_ parents..."

The pair turned a corner and passed by two armored guards with heavy spears.

"How could you think that you didn't have parents? Doesn't everybody have them?" inquired Shia, staring right into Link's blue eyes with her own.

"No, not the Kokiri. They're born of the forest. That's where I got my clothes from; I was living with them. I grew up with them, thinking I was Kokiri, up until the day Navi appeared before me," Link explained.

Shia bit her lip. "Navi is that fairy you're looking for, right?"

Nodding, Link said, "Yeah. She was the catalyst for my adventure, and she stuck with me through it all. I owe her a lot." It made Link sad to think he may never get to see Navi, or any of his other friends again.

Shia went through a wooden door that was much larger than any Link had seen through the rest of the hallway. Following her, Link entered a room that could only be the kitchen.

"Well, here we are," said Shia, walking up to a pantry and opening the door. "We're welcome to anything in here. You have about an hour to eat before the chefs come in to prepare dinner for the King and everybody else. They serve the King first, then make food for the remainder of the castle."

"I see," Link said, stepping up beside Shia to look into the pantry.

"A lot of the residents in the castle will simply go to the market to eat dinner, just because the chefs take a long time to prepare the King's food."

Link's eyes ran over the pantry and saw many types of food stored away. Most of it looked appetizing, but he wanted something simple. He opted instead to just eat some apples that were piled high in a barrel near the front of the pantry.

"I usually don't eat a lot, so I'll just have a few apples," he said to Shia while grabbing three of the bright red fruit.

Link walked to a small table with Shia and sat down. The blue-haired girl sat on the side opposite of Link.

"Does anybody else eat with the King?" asked Link as he took a bite out of his first apple.

Shia shrugged and began playing with some loose wood chips on the table absent-mindedly. "No, not really... Mostly on special occasions, like the King's birthday," she answered.

It finally hit Link that somebody was giving him information very willingly. He decided to try to get some useful information out of Shia while she was in the mood to talk.

"Can you tell me anything about this 'Fairy Shrine' I keep hearing about? People talk about it a lot, but they don't tell me anything," Link said, biting into his apple again. Shia seemed like a genuinely nice girl, so he figured if he expressed his helplessness truthfully, she'd be more than willing to explain it all to him.

"To be honest, we don't know too much about it. Even the things we _do_ know don't explain what the exact purpose of the Shrine is," said Shia.

Link hungrily ate into his apple some more, and then asked, "Can you tell me what you do know?"

Shia began chipping away at some more wood with her fingernails, breaking splinters off of the table in a very small area. "I suppose," she said quietly. "What I do know is that the Shrine is basically a large hole in the mountain behind our town. The town used its incredible healing powers to heal our sick and wounded, up until Fenrom died."

"Fenrom?"

"Oh, the previous King; Godoro's father. Once Godoro took over, he sealed it off to everybody. Nobody can use it without his consent."

Link raised an eyebrow. "That's horrible," he commented.

"It made him a lot of enemies, most notably Kain," Shia said, biting her lower lip. "It started a war. That's why he's been attacking us; so he can get to the Shrine."

The way Link so it, it should have been everybody's to share. But he didn't say so; he was mixed up in the town's business enough as it was. If he had a way to solve the problem, maybe he'd try, but until he got his freedom back, there was nothing he could do.

"The only safe route to the Shrine is guarded by Keystone's army. Not only that, but it's so well-hidden that most people forget where it is," Shia said.

"What's at the Fairy Shrine?" Link asked.

Shia smiled slightly. "It's the most beautiful thing you'll ever see, Link. Thousands of fairies reside there. To this day, nobody has been able to count all of them." She had a faraway look in her eyes, as if she were reliving a memory.

Link had finished his first apple by this time. He placed the core next to the two whole apples, grabbed a new one, and started on his second fruit. "Where do all of the fairies come from?" asked a curious Link. If thousands were there, then maybe Navi...

"Nobody really knows. There are theories...but people are still coming up with new ones all the time. One person even suggested that a lost fairy was split into thousands of bodies somehow," replied Shia.

Link started coughing on his apple. "_What?_" he managed to say in between his choking.

Shia's eyes went wide, and she quickly added, "But they proved it wrong; there are new fairies showing up all the time. That's why they can't count them all. Unless the one fairy is still shattering to this day, then it's a false theory."

Link stared at Shia for a moment, then relaxed. At least Navi wasn't being broken up into pieces, he thought to himself, more than a little relieved.

Shia stood up and hesitantly said, "I think I should get going now... My father is probably asleep at this point, and I should clean up that vase he knocked over."

"Need any help?" asked Link, starting his third apple.

"No thank you, Link. You should probably get some sleep so that you aren't tired for tonight," Shia said with a smile as she walked in the direction of the door.

"Hey... Shia?" started Link, rising to his feet.

Shia stopped at the door and turned to look back at Link. "Yes?"

"Are you going to be there tonight? Because I'm not sure that I want to be left alone with Tifa," Link stated, raising his eyebrow.

Giggling, Shia said, "I'll try." Then she left the kitchen.

Link sighed. He finished eating the remainder of his apple, then stood up and started to walk out, leaving two apple cores on the table. He got to the door, stopped, and stood there, pondering. After a beat, he shrugged and walked back to the barrel of apples and grabbed two more of the juice fruit.

"No harm in taking a few more..." said Link. He took a bite out of one and walked out of the kitchen.

**!-M- -U- -N- -C- -H-!  
!-M- -U- -N- -C- -H-!**

Link walked around the hallways some more until he found himself making a bit loop. The only way out of the living quarters, he discovered, was one hallway that exited into the entry room of the castle. Sighing, he walked back to his room. He was about to go in and catch up on some more sleep when he became curious about something. The young boy thought back to the two guards he and Shia had walked past on the way to the kitchen. It seemed odd having two guards standing randomly in a hallway like that; they had to have been guarding something important.

Curiosity got the better of him and he walked back down the hallway until he reached a turning point. He peeked around the corner and saw that the two guards decked out in armor were still standing there.

A door was between them. They were guarding a room of sorts. Link wondered what could be in there.

Sighing, Link wished he had his Stone Mask. He regretted leaving them tied up with some of his other gear on Epona's saddle. A smarter hero would have kept at least _one_ useful mask on him.

Link retreated, making a point to investigate further if he had the chance, and walked slowly back to his room. When he got there, he laid his head down and went to sleep so he wouldn't be tired for the planned adventure that night.

* * *

**End:**_ Chapter Five: Three Apples and a Little Lady_


	6. Leaving Keystone

**_Years Away_****_  
_By Joker's Specter**

**_Chapter Six: _**_Leaving Keystone_

* * *

The only reason Link woke up was because the room had become chilly. As he opened his sleepy eyes, he saw that it was dark outside his window, and there was a breeze blowing through it into the room.

Sitting up groggily, the sleepy boy stretched, yawned, and then rubbed his eyes. He had no idea what time it was, but he hoped Tifa didn't forget their agreement.

Jumping off the bed silently, Link approached the open window and peered out for the first time, seeing what the view was like.

Since he was on the ground level of the castle, he mostly saw the grassy lawn stretching in all directions until it reached the walls. A few patches of flowers were scattered around here and there, as well as a healthy green tree or two.

None of that mattered to Link, though. The thing that caught his attention was a building nestled against the wall nearest to his window.

"Epona..." whispered Link as he observed the stables. His quick brain formulated a plan: He would climb out of the window and go see if Epona was there. There would be no drop from the window, due to him being on the ground level, so safety was no issue. If Epona was at the stables, he could take her and ride to freedom without having to mess with his duel with Commander Bronzen.

The only thing he needed before he could attempt escape was to find the whereabouts of the Fairy Shrine.

Link sighed. If he went ahead with his plan, he would leave his items behind, including the important things, like his ocarina. He knew Navi and Epona were more important, but did he really want to leave all of his important things behind, too?

Just as Link was about to climb out the window to check if Epona was even at the stables, there was a knock at the bedroom door. Link took one last glance at the stables, and then strode to the door and opened it all the way.

"Hey cutie!" said Tifa with an exaggerated wink. "Ready for our 'date'?"

Link held back a groan. The time away from Tifa had nearly made him forget how outgoing she was. Now that he was supposedly her "boyfriend", he had a feeling things would get a lot worse.

As they left the room, Link noticed two things that struck him as odd. The first was that Tifa was wearing commoner clothing. It wasn't exactly the type of thing someone who lived in a castle would wear. But then, Tifa wasn't exactly the type of person that stopped surprising Link.

The second odd thing was that Shia was nowhere to be found.

"Where's Shia?" whispered Link while they walked silently down the torch-lit hallway. Most of the torches had been put out, giving the pictures that hung in the hallway and eerie appearance in the dim light.

Tifa raised an eyebrow to Link's question. "Piper? She should be waiting in the market district."

The blonde girl walked close to Link, so that their arms were touching just slightly. Link would move away a little bit every now and then, but Tifa would just step closer when she had the chance.

"So... You talked to her, huh?" asked Tifa, turning to stare at Link with her hazel eyes.

Link kept his eyes straight ahead. "Yeah, for a few minutes."

Tifa nodded, acknowledging what Link had said. Link noticed that for the first time since he had met her, she didn't appear to have much to say.

"Um... Are you okay?" asked Link, tilting his head a bit to look at her.

Tifa blinked. "Hmm? Oh, yeah. I was just thinking," she replied.

Link wondered what she would think about so deeply. The curiosity almost got the better of him, and he was about to ask her, when he forced himself to stop. The silence was awkward, but definitely pleasant at the time, and required if they wanted to get out of the castle undetected.

After they exited the hallway into the entry room of the castle, Tifa stopped short. The reason, Link saw, was that four guards were posted at the main entrance to the castle. Tifa stepped back into the hallway, pulling Link with her.

"There weren't supposed to be guards there..." she whispered quickly. The girl poked her head around the corner, looking at the entrance again, and then pulled her head back and sighed. "How did Piper get out?" she asked.

Link shrugged. "I don't know," he answered. Then he felt a little silly when he realized she was directing the question to herself.

"I bet I know!" Tifa said after a minute of thinking. A big grin was spread on her face. "She probably used the basement. C'mon!" She grabbed Link and pulled him along down the hallway.

They ran in silence until they approached the door that Link recognized as the heavy wooden door the two guards were posted at before. They were nowhere to be found.

"I never liked going down here, Link, but I'll do it for you," Tifa said as she reached for the doorknob. "If Piper went this way, then we'll want to go this way also." She turned the doorknob, but it stayed firmly in place.

"Are you sure she went this way?" Link asked, remembering the guards from before.

Smirking, Tifa produced a key from her pocket. "Fortunately for us, I've got this," she said, fitting the key into the lock and twisting it.

"In we go..." said Tifa, opening the door a crack. She walked in with Link trailing behind her, down some stairs, and into a torch-lit passageway.

**!-T- -H- -E- -W- -E-!  
!-N- -D- -I- -G- -O-!**

"Are we there yet?" asked Link, staring at the dark stone walls of the basement.

"I...can't really remember. It's been so long since I've been down here. I know for sure that Piper came down here, though; the torches were lit at the entrance. Nobody else would've come down here for anything... I hope," Tifa replied slowly.

The pair had been walking for quite a while in the cold basement. They'd taken so many twists and turns, Link couldn't tell which direction they were going in anymore. It was as if the basement was made to be a maze. Tifa was in the lead with a small torch that she had grabbed at the entrance.

"If it's been so long, then why do you still carry that key with you?" Link inquired casually.

Tifa paused at a branching path. "The basement is a type of royal escape, just in case the castle gets attacked. Our old King was really nice. He built the basement solely for the families living on the first floor as an emergency escape. The winding maze-type layout makes it so pursuers have a hard time following us," she explained. The girl chose a direction and started to walk with Link again.

"When Godoro took over the throne, he made the basement off-limits unless he is safe first. He figures everybody should secure his safety over that of their own, or the royal family of Keystone can't live on," Tifa went on. "He's pig-headed if you ask me."

Link listened with interest. He was seeing the King as an evil person more and more with every story he heard. Why were people tolerating him?

Dismissing the thought for now, Link asked, "But why do you still have a key if he made it off-limits?"

Tifa flashed Link a mischievous grin. "I hit it when he was confiscating all of the keys. He knew of all the people who had keys, so I had to make up a story about losing it. Luckily for me, he believed me," answered Tifa. "Later on I had the blacksmith make a copy for Piper."

Link was impressed. "That's actually really clever..." he complimented. "So you carry it with you all the time now in case you need it?"

"Yep. Call me selfish, but I'll save myself and Piper over Godoro any day," Tifa replied with a straight face.

They continued walking for a little while longer, talking about little things like Tifa's daily life and Navi. The discussions went on until they came upon some stairs.

"This looks like where we started," said Link, his eyes falling on the empty torch slot where Tifa had removed the torch beforehand.

Tifa frowned and looked around. "I think it is... I just can't remember the way," she said quietly. "I'm really sorry, Link."

Link sighed and said, "It's okay. It's not your fault. At least you're trying to help me. By the sound of things, your father's going to mangle me up so bad they'll have to take me to the Shrine." He smiled to show he was trying to lighten the mood.

Looking at the ground, Tifa said quietly, "No, they won't."

"Huh?"

"They won't take you to the shrine," Tifa stated.

Link's eyebrows raised. "But the King said..." he began to say. The boy stopped himself mid-sentence when he realized just who it was that promised he'd get taken to the Fairy Shrine if he were injured. What reason did he have to believe the King?

"That's what he told the last person my father had to duel..." Tifa explained. She put the torch back in its slot on the wall and sat down on the stairs, her chin in her hands.

Link sat beside her. "So they'd just leave me to die?" he asked, amazed that a town could allow such a lying, selfish person to lead them.

Tifa turned to stare at Link's blue eyes and nodded. "They'd let you pass away from your injuries. That is, if my father doesn't kill you right away."

Shaking his head in disgust, Link said, "This is ridiculous. So either way they plan on me dying?"

A nod from the blonde girl beside him. "From what I hear, the King thinks that if he lets anybody use the Shrine, then he'd get a flood of requests from the rest of the population to use it. If he denied them after letting a stranger use it, they'd uprise against him."

"What about your father? Wouldn't he care?" Link asked bitterly.

"He would care, yes... But he won't act against the King's orders. If the King's orders are to defeat you, then he would. He'd probably just kill you quickly as an act of mercy," Tifa explained. Her mood had changed drastically since they had met up.

They sat there in silence for a while before Tifa spoke up again. "You don't have to be my boyfriend if you don't want to. I know you don't like me too much anyway."

Link didn't expect to hear _that_ come out of Tifa's mouth. He looked at Tifa, deciding on what to say. He didn't want to encourage her senseless pursuits of romance, but he didn't want the girl to feel down, either.

"That's not true. I think you're a great person for trying to help me out," he finally said. "Sure, your dad has been ordered to kill me, and I don't expect I'll have things go my way anytime soon... But at least you're trying. That's what counts."

Tifa smiled slightly, eyes downcast and sad. "That doesn't mean you want to be my boyfriend, thought."

Link wanted to get off of the subject. "Honestly, I'm not ready for a relationship, Tifa," the hero started to say. He paused, and then hesitantly added, "But if it helps you at all, I guess I can stay your 'boyfriend' for a little while longer, provided nothing comes of it."

The girl's shoulders shrugged. "I guess that's fair..." Her smile widened just a bit. "Thanks," she said.

"For now, though, I think I have a solution to getting outside of the castle..." Link said, rising to his feet and helping Tifa to hers.

**!-T- -H- -E- -W- -E-!  
!-N- -D- -I- -G- -O-!**

"I can't believe I didn't think of climbing out the windows before..." Tifa said, angry at herself as she pulled her small frame through the window in Link's room.

After she had placed her feet safely on the grass, Link climbed up into the window to follow her.

"I don't have a window in my room, so I didn't realize that we could just climb through..." explained Tifa as Link jumped down.

Tifa looked around to make sure the coast was clear. "Piper will be waiting at the tavern," she said as she began walking around the castle wall. When she didn't hear Link walking beside or behind her, she stopped and turned around.

Link was standing still, staring at the stables.

Biting his lip, he said, "I'm going to get my horse..." Then he started running at top speed for the building. Being this close made him cave in. He just wanted to get Epona and escape.

"Link! Wait!" yelled Tifa as loud as she could without notifying any guards. She ran after Link, her legs carrying her surprisingly fast.

Link was within twenty feet of the building when something tackled him from behind. The boy clenched his eyes shut as he rolled a few times and ended up on his back. He opened his eyes to find Tifa pinning him down.

"You can't go in there!" she hissed angrily. She was using all of her upper body strength and body weight to keep Link's arms held down, despite the fact that he wasn't struggling.

Link was surprised at how strong and fast the seemingly pampered girl was.

"Why not?" he almost yelled back. His blue eyes glared up at Tifa harshly.

"Because there are always guards in there!" Tifa snapped, being as silent as her temper would allow. "They'll kill you on sight! We need to get to the tavern; not go chasing after your horse on a rescue mission that will definitely fail."

Link didn't care; they had taken his friend from him, and he was going to take her back.

"I want to get Epona, Tifa. That's the only reason I'm even sticking around this place!" Link said bitterly. The boy noticed that Tifa shifted her weight slightly when he said that.

"The only reason...? Well, you know what? If you go through that door, chances are you'll be dead before you even see your horse. _I_ don't want you dead, no matter how much of a death wish you have."

Link saw her features soften, and then she moved off of Link and stood up.

Pushing himself up into a sitting position, Link looked ahead at the stables. "I wish I hadn't come here... Maybe if I had been more alert, Epona and I could still be searching for Navi. We possibly could have found her by now," he said quietly.

Link felt a raindrop fall on his leg. He looked up and a few more splashed onto his face. A heavy blanket of dark clouds moved to cover the sky, concealing the dark moon.

"We should go..." Tifa whispered, shivering. It was starting to get really cold, so Link stood up and nodded. He then followed Tifa in the direction of the market, taking one last glance at the stables as he walked away.

**!-T- -H- -E- -W- -E-!  
!-N- -D- -I- -G- -O-!**

Link and Tifa moved for the tavern as fast as they reasonably could while staying undetected by the few guards moving around the castle. By the time they got outside of the castle gate, it had started pouring heavy, cold rain. Lightning could be seen and thunder shook the sky. The two young kids, however, weren't going to turn back. They were determined to reach the tavern.

They ran past the fountain in the center of the market and continued straight. The fountain reminded Link of Cyrus and Crystal; he'd almost forgotten about them. He made a mental promise to himself that when he had the chance, he'd help free them from their imprisonment at the jail.

After another minute of running, Tifa stopped in front of a door that had a bulky sign hanging above it. She opened the large door and dashed in. Link followed her into the warm building, closing the door behind him, and bending down to catch his breath.

He glanced up through his rain-soaked, blonde bangs, and saw a large, mostly empty tavern. The only two people in the building other than he and Tifa was a round bar tender and the blue-haired girl they wanted to find, resting her head on a table. Link could see that she was asleep.

"Piper," said Tifa, walking up to the table.

"She's been waitin' for ye for a while now," said the bearded bar tender, wiping off the counter. "I didn't have the heart to kick the young lass out. She seemed really determined to stay an' wait for the two of ye."

"Well, we had difficulties getting here on time," Tifa explain, standing at the side of Shia. She reached down and began to shake her friend slightly. "Piper... We're here now."

Shia raised her head, but didn't open her eyes. Then, in a loud, clear, yet eerie voice, she stated, "Link, you must run! The arrow is coming!" Her eyelids began to flutter, and then she slumped back in her chair.

Tifa stared at her friend with her mouth slightly open. "Piper? What was _that_?" she asked incredulously.

"She's been doin' that fer a while now, since she's been sleeping. I woke her up once, but she had no memory of it. I jus' figured it was something she did all of the time... Y'know, like maybe the lass is possessed," said the bar tender. He grinned to show that the last part was a joke.

Link ran what Shia had said over in his head. What could she mean by the arrow? And why was she talking about him?

His thoughts were cut short by Tifa trying to wake her friend again.

"Piper! Wake up!" said Tifa. She grabbed Shia's shoulders and began to shake her a little more violently than before.

Shia's eyes opened slowly, looking up at Tifa, then over at Link. "Sorry," she said. "I must have fallen asleep." She stood up, yawned, and stretched. Her eyes were only half-open as she looked around. It was clear to Link that she was exhausted.

"C'mon Piper, we need to get going," Tifa said, helping Shia, who was wobbling a bit on her feet, from falling over. She looked over at Link and flashed a smile. "Link can't be my boyfriend if I can't show him the Shrine!"

Shia shook her head to wake herself up. "Okay... I'm ready," she said confidently. To show that she was telling the truth, she moved away from Tifa and walked to the door, almost tripping in the process.

The bar tender met them at the door. "Here kids, ye might be wanting these," said the man. He held out three folded pieces of clothing in his large hands. Link walked up and grabbed one for himself. Unfolding it, he discovered that it was a cloak about his size.

"They belong to m'kids, so don't ye be forgettin' to bring 'em back," said the bar tender, smiling brightly. Tifa and Shia walked up and grabbed one of their own.

"Thank you, sir," said Shia, putting hers on. Link and Tifa mimicked her.

The bar tender bowed politely. "My pleasure. I hope ye find what yer lookin' fer," he replied. "I gotta close up now, so don't bother bringin' those around tonight."

"Okay, thank you. Bye!" Tifa said, waving and walking outside with Link and Shia in tow.

**!-T- -H- -E- -W- -E-!  
!-N- -D- -I- -G- -O-!**

The trio marched slowly along the road, heading in the direction where Link assumed an exit to the town was. They moved slowly for two reasons: One, their cloaks were getting soaked, which made them heavier and harder to walk with. Although, it did keep Link a lot more dry and warm than he would have been without it.

The second reason was Shia. She moved lethargically in her sleepy state. Link told her it was okay if she wanted to go back home, but she would always tell him that she was fine.

"The trip up the mountain should take long, unless there are a lot of guards. Then we'll have to go on a different path that Piper and I found," Tifa explained. "It takes longer, but we wouldn't encounter any guards. We'll attempt the main path first and break away if we see any signs of guards."

Link looked at Tifa through his raised hood. He was amazed at how she seemed to be taking charge in an intelligent manner. He was just getting used to seeing her as a little girl who just wanted to flirt and annoy Link, and now he was beginning to see her as someone who was becoming increasingly more helpful. He would even say she was becoming his friend.

Smiling to himself, Link pondered on the possibilities of coming back to Keystone to visit Tifa and Shia after he found Navi.

Something still troubled him about Shia, though... He wanted to know what she meant when she had that episode in the tavern. What did she mean by "The arrow is coming", anyway? She had told him to run, so it couldn't be anything good. At the same time, what if he was over thinking it and she was just talking in her sleep? What if she was just dreaming?

Whatever the case, Link could tell there was more to Shia than meets the eye...

After another five minutes of cautious walking, they finally reached the large gate of the town. It was guarded in the usual manner of two guards standing beside the door. The only difference was one guard sat up on top of the wall next to a crank mechanism.

"How are we supposed to get out with them there?" asked Link, raising his voice just enough so that he could be heard over the downpour.

Tifa leaned in close to Link. "They'll let us out, but they won't let us back in," she replied loudly so he could hear. "But don't worry; we know another way in. This is just the nearest entrance to the Shrine."

The group moved forward until they were at the gate. When the two guards saw the trio of young adventurers, they glanced at each other, obviously wondering why someone would be trying to leave the town in the heavy rainstorm.

Dismissing it as nothing too unusual, one of the guards whistled at the man standing on top of the wall, and then said, "'ey Open th' gate!"

The guard on top moved quickly to rotate the mechanism that pulled the gate up.

"Thank you!" Tifa said happily as she, Link, and Shia moved past the guards. Link made sure to keep his face mostly hidden inside his hood.

Once they were clear of the gate, it slammed shut behind them. Link glanced back and saw the three guards resume their posts.

He was finally out of Keystone.

* * *

**End:**_ Chapter Six: Leaving Keystone_


	7. Like Following a Blind Person

**_Years Away_****_  
_By Joker's Specter**

**_Chapter Seven: _**_Like Following a Blind Person_

* * *

Link and his two companions traveled across the vast field behind the castle to the mountain range. Link could barely make out the large peaks of the mountains against he heavy downpour of the rain. As they walked, Link began to wonder just how long they would have to traverse through the storm.

"How far away is the Shrine?" the blonde boy asked.

Tifa, who was walking between Link and Shia, shrugged her sopping wet shoulders. "Usually it takes a little less than an hour of walking both ways. Once we reach the entrance to the Shrine, it takes a little time more time to get in and out."

Link began to feel the rain soaking into his green tunic. The cloak was starting to become useless, except for helping him shield his eyes from the rain.

"We used to go there a lot until Godoro banned people from use of the Shrine," Tifa added, motioning to Shia next to her. "Not even researchers can go in there anymore. Me and Piper found a different path up, though. We can get in without anybody knowing."

Link estimated that they had been walking for about ten minutes. He figured it would take them another ten minutes to get to the mountains. That meant that meant that most of their time would be spent going up or down the mountains. In the weather they were in, that didn't sound like a good thing.

Hoping they would have a safe trip, Link continued on in silence, running thoughts over his head. He was beginning to see various strands from the past few days connect into a web. At the center of the web, the problem was the Fairy Shrine. At the very least, a lot of major issues were centered around it.

His thoughts took him back to Cyrus and Crystal in the prison. Cyrus had said they were the children of Kain. It didn't seem at all like they were bad people; not to mention Kain's motives seemed to be toward capturing the Shrine. If the Shrine simply healed people, then wouldn't Kain's motives be to get his hands on some medical help? That couldn't be a bad thing.

"Hey... What do you two think of Kain?" Link asked his companions. "I mean... Is he really such a bad guy?"

Tifa and Shia looked over at Link in surprise, as if they hadn't expected him to say that.

After a few seconds, Shia looked as if she were about to speak, but she caught herself, glanced at Tifa, then continued staring straight ahead toward the base of the mountain.

Tifa, on the other hand, said, "To tell you the truth, Link, I'm not so sure anymore. I know Kain is against us because he wants the Fairy Shrine; not so he can take over Keystone. I know that the King claims that Kain is evil, but I can pretty much say that about the King also."

She paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts. Link was impressed at how closely her theories were matching his so far.

"I think Kain has a good reason for wanting access to the Shrine, so as long as the King keeps it barred off, we'll be at war," Tifa said. She looked from Link to Shia, biting her lip, and added, "But don't tell anybody I said that..."

They walked in silence for a while, with only the sound of the rain to be heard. Link wondered just how many of the other citizens in Keystone had come to the conclusion Tifa had, and were keeping to themselves about it simply due to fear. Or maybe because the people of Keystone weren't being invaded within the walls, so they didn't bother worrying about it? It was wrong, and Link had a strong urge to fix it somehow.

The only problem was, how was he going to convince an entire town that their King was a liar who schemed behind their backs for the sake of his own gains, and that they should overthrow him? In most towns, talk like that would get a person killed on sight, and Link knew Keystone wouldn't be any different.

Tifa grabbed Link and began walking in a wide berth around some hills. "There's an outpost here," she explained. "One of Keystone's. They'll capture or kill anybody, regardless of our loyalty. Only soldiers are allowed past this point."

Link understood, and followed quietly until they had walked safely around the unseen outpost.

"Link," Tifa said when they were a safe distance away. "Tell us about you... Like, where you come from.

Shia looked at Link and nodded in agreement, also wanting to know more about his past. She still appeared to be sleepy, but the rain had woken her up enough to keep her moving.

Biting his lip, Link asked, "Why do you want to know?"

Tifa smiled at Link. "Oh c'mon. You're a boy hardly my age who shows up out of nowhere. Not to mention the King has a lot of interest in you. I still don't know why you're going to be dueling my father, but there's a lot about you that makes me curious," she said.

That made sense to Link. He had an explorative nature, too, and usually wanted to dig deeper until he found something good or interesting. It sounded like Tifa had that same personality trait. Sighing, Link lowered his eyes to the ground. He normally kept to himself about the topic of his past, and he wasn't used to discussing his adventures in Hyrule and Termina.

Still, they had a lot of walking to do, and it might feel good to get it off his chest at some point. Why not now?

"Well..." Link started to say slowly, "I grew up in a place called the Kokiri Forest. The forest is a part of Hyrule; a faraway land. I remember feeling very out of place there..."

Tifa tilted her head slightly. "How come?"

"Mostly because I didn't have a fairy. It made me feel different... Everybody in Kokiri Forest has a fairy, but I didn't."

"Is that why you're searching for this fairy? 'Cause you never got one?" asked Tifa with deep interest. Despite being tired, Shia also had her full focus on Link.

"No, that's not the reason. I'll get to that in just a moment," Link said. "After a while, I started having nightmares. They would usually be about one thing..."

"What was it?" Tifa questioned.

Link's thoughts went back to the dark forces he encountered in Hyrule. "Ganondorf..." he replied quietly.

The boy paused long enough to cause Tifa to ask, "Who's Ganondorf?"

Link didn't answer. Tifa repeated herself, and Link suddenly snapped back to reality, as if he had been deep in thought. "Hmm? Oh, Ganondorf? He's...well, I'll get to him in a moment. As I was saying, I was having constant nightmares. They continued to get worse and worse... I had no clue what they meant at the time, but I knew they couldn't be a good thing. After a little while, a fairy had finally come to me..."

Navi?" asked the tired Shia.

"Yes..." answered Link. He listened to the rain for a few seconds before continuing. "Navi was sent as a messenger from the Great Deku Tree, guardian of the Kokiri Forest."

Tifa raised an eyebrow. "A tree?"

Link shot Tifa a look. "What better guardian to have than part of the forest itself?" he answered.

Raising her hands and stepping back, Tifa said, "Okay, okay. So this Great Tree sent you Navi. Then what?"

"Well... I was summoned by him to save Hyrule."

Again Tifa's eyebrows shot up. "You? Aren't you a little scrawny to be a hero?" she asked.

"Hey, it wasn't _my_ choice... And besides, you're the one all over me, saying I'm your boyfriend," Link shot back.

Tifa smirked and said, "Don't let it get to your head; it's mainly just a title thing. What better way to raise eyebrows than to date the very person your father has to duel?"

"Yeah, I've been wondering... Why would you want to do that, anyway?" asked Link slowly.

Shrugging, Tifa simply replied, "I like the unknown, I guess. You're a very big unknown to me and the rest of Keystone."

Link was about to say something back, when Shia asked, "So where does this Ganondorf guy fit in? And when did you get separated from Navi?"

Raising his eyes, Link saw that they were approaching the base of the mountain. In the storm, he knew it could be a difficult climb, so he wanted to hurry and wrap up the story so the trio could focus on the task at hand. "Long story short, and believe it or not, I saved Hyrule with the help of Navi and others from Ganondorf."

"Hard to believe, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt for now," Tifa interjected. "Go on."

"Er... Well, after defeating Ganondorf, Navi disappeared," Link said, giving Tifa a disapproving look. "After all she had done for me, I need to at least make sure she's not in trouble..."

The three of them had just reached the base of the mountains and began to hike along the bottom of it in search of some way up the steep, rocky slope.

"If you have any other questions for me, I'll answer them another time. I think we should focus on being cautious," Link said loudly over the rain.

"Good idea," Tifa agreed, followed by a nod from Shia.

They walked in silence for a while, treading carefully along the muddy base. Link wasn't sure what they were looking for, but he figured Tifa knew what she was doing. Looking up at the mountains, he wondered if it was wise to have the two girls come with him. If anything happened to them, it would definitely be on his head, whether it was his fault or not.

"It should be around here somewhere..." said Tifa slowly.

"Are we looking for the main path...or the one you and Shia say you found?" inquired Link as he fell into step beside the blonde girl.

"The main one... And you should call her Piper; it sounds better," Tifa replied, still scanning the area ahead of her for the missing path.

Link shrugged. "She asked me to call her that," he said.

Tifa, who was moving with great ease over the warped terrain, said, "Well, whatever you want."

Link glanced back and saw Shia slowly following, obviously not having the agility or stamina of Link and Tifa. Add on the fact that she seemed so exhausted, and it was a bad situation.

"Hey, why is she so tired?" Link asked so only Tifa could hear.

Looking back at her friend, Tifa leaned in and whispered, "Piper isn't used to being out this late. She usually gets to bed earlier. I told her she shouldn't come, but she kept saying something about needing to."

Link pondered on that for a moment, and then realized it must have been because of him that Shia was even there. He had _asked_ her to come with.

"We should wait for her; maybe slow down a little..." said Link. He stopped next to a tree and looked back again.

Tifa stopped too, then shrugged. "It'll take longer, but okay," she replied.

Shia slowly approached the spot where the two stood. She looked up at them through sleepy eyes and said, "Sorry... I'm more tired than I thought."

Link wondered if Shia would even have the strength to make it back, let alone continue up the mountain in the dangerous storm.

"Um... Shia, are you sure you can make the climb up? We still have to head back, and you look like you're ready to fall asleep any minute," Link pointed out.

Shia didn't answer. Instead, Tifa cut in. "The climb isn't as high as you'd think. If we were going to the main trail, _then_ we'd be climbing straight up," she said.

Link was confused. "I thought you said we climb up...and that we're looking for the main trail."

"We are."  
"Well, why did you say we aren't going to use the main trail?"

"Because we probably won't."

Link just didn't get it. he was having a difficult time getting through to this girl. "Okay... So, we're looking for the main trail, but we aren't going to use the main trail, right?"

Tifa sighed loudly, and then said in a very slow voice, "We find the main trail as a land mark. If we find the main trail, then it's a short path to the alternate route to the Fairy Shrine. We'll be on the main trail itself for a few minutes, but only until we come to the first guardhouse. From that point on, depending on how guarded the path is, we can either take the main trail, which will cut our time down, or the alternate trail, which will take longer but is safer. Judging by this rain, we'll probably take the safer path." Tifa crossed her arms as she explained her plan to Link and appeared slightly annoyed.

"Okay, I get it now," Link said, nodding. At least, he thought he did.

"Well, good. Now let's get going," Tifa said as she spun on her heel and began walking away from Link.

Link rolled his eyes as Tifa marched away, then turned to ask Shia if she was sure she could make it.

Shia just smiled and talked in a low voice, so Tifa couldn't hear, saying, "I always like to see the Fairy Shrine. It's so beautiful... I'll be fine." The blue-haired girl then walked away too, leaving Link standing alone in a large puddle caused by the downpour. He wondered what he did to deserve his current situation. He just wanted a few simple things. Why was that so hard?

**!-T- -H- -E- -R- -A-!  
!-I- -N- -B- -O- -W-!**

"Hmm... You know, I don't remember any of this," stated Tifa slowly while looking around. "If it weren't for this rain we'd be at the main trail by now..." The group had come upon an area that was shaded by a few trees all around for as far as the eye could see. "This doesn't look familiar at all..."

Link was getting a little weary. The storm, his exhaustion, and his guide were all beginning to weigh heavily on him. "I thought you knew where you were going?" he asked as water ran off his bangs.

"I do, I do... I'm just a little side-tracked. But don't worry; I'll get you there. It's what I do," replied Tifa with a nervous smile.

"Tifa... Um... I think we may have passed it," Shia said quietly.

Tifa looked back the way they had come. "Hmm. That's possible," she admitted with a nod. "C'mon, let's head back the way we came and stick closer to the mountain. It's fairly hard to see the path with the blockade the King put up, so we'll just have to keep a better eye out." Tifa began walking in the opposite direction with Shia in tow, once again leaving Link standing alone in a puddle, wondering what he did to deserve his current predicament.

With his cloak completely soaked through now, Link debated leaving it behind as it slowed him down and impeded his movement. If it weren't for the fact that he and the girls had to return them, Link would've left his where he stood.

About five minutes went past fore Tifa shouted excitedly, "There it is! Stupid rain was making it hard to see before."

Relief washed over Link with the rain as he ran up to stand beside Tifa. True enough, the rain was making it difficult to see anything. The boy squinted in the direction Tifa was pointing at, but all he could see were a bunch of large boulders nestled between a sheer rock wall.

"What? What's there?" he asked, looking over at Tifa's beaming face.

"The main path!"

Link gave the boulders another look, seeing no way through or around them. "How are we supposed to get through?"

"You don't... At least, not if you have the proper way to climb up the boulders. Even though it's not too high, it's still near impossible to climb over them, except for us," said Tifa with a grin.

Link took a long look at the blockade. Near the top, he finally saw what Tifa meant. A small gap between the boulders high up that would allow a small person to slip through.

"We could get through right there if someone gave us a boost, right?" he asked.

Tifa smirked at the blonde boy. "You're pretty smart. Smarter than I thought, anyway. That method is why I never travel alone," she replied.

**!-T- -H- -E- -R- -A-!  
!-I- -N- -B- -O- -W-!**

Link boosted the two girls up first on his shoulders. Once they were safely secure, they reached down and helped him up onto the a small ledge provided by some boulders that jutted outwards. One by one, they each slipped through the tiny entrance, squirming through until they could jump down onto the other side.

"The guards of Keystone have their their own man-made entrance that runs underground from Keystone. It was a huge project a while back," Tifa said as she brushed mud off of her soaking cloak. "Once it was finished, the King blocked off this path, and now we're the only ones who can get through."

Link was becoming more and more impressed by Tifa and Shia's usefulness, and how willing they were to help him. Despite the complaining from earlier, he was feeling like his fortune was beginning to change.

Observing the wavy pathway ahead of them, Link saw that the canyon could conceal many things. Enemies, treasure, and even the Fairy Shrine could probably be on the face of the mountain and still not be seen by anybody walking by. There were so many turn offs and trees that Link could only see about thirty feet ahead of him before the trail swirved into a different direction.

"Well, this is the tricky part," said Tifa from behind Link. "We need to head up this trail a little ways, but there's that guard outpost I mentioned earlier. The King trusts his blockade as much as he does Kain, so keep your eyes open."

Tifa led the way up and onto the wavy path, with a cautious Link and a sleepy Shia trailing behind her.

* * *

**End:**_ Chapter Seven: Like Following a Blind Person_


	8. First Blood Spilled

**_Years Away_**  
By Joker's Specter

_Chapter Eight: First Blood Spilled_

* * *

Link had no idea where they were going. Tifa apparently did, though. She was moving without hesitation or slowing down. It amazed Link at how the girl couldn't find her way out of the castle, which was considerably easier, and yet she could navigate her way through the labyrinth of trees, rocks, canyons, and turnoffs with no issues.

Suddenly, Tifa stopped just before a turn in the canyon that would take them to the right, and further up the mountain. She peered around the corner of the rock wall for a few seconds, then pulled her head back.

"I can't see if the guards are there or not... It's too dark, and it's raining too hard to tell," she said, biting her lip.

Link peered around the corner to get a look. He focused on a small little hut that was poorly built. It was constructed on the flattest of the ground in that area. From what he could see, there were no lights and no movement except the rain.

"I can't see anyone... Should I be able to?" asked Link, taking one more glance.

Tifa's head appeared next to his as she leaned over to look again. "My father says that once a week, guards and soldiers come into town from wherever they were. Mostly for meetings and stuff. They spend the night in town, get new supplies in the morning, and then return to their posts. If I'm right, then tonight is the night they're gone," she said.

What Tifa said made sense, but something still didn't sit right with Link. "So...the whole mountain is unguarded?" he asked in disbelief.

"Well, all except for a few key areas...like where we _aren't_ going. I was just hoping that this first outpost wouldn't be one of them. Looks like we're in luck," replied Tifa, strolling past Link.

Link gave a questioning look to Shia who began to follow after her friend. Shia just motioned for Link to follow the two girls.

The trio passed by the dark little hut with caution and moved on. It was becoming more and more difficult to travel across the trail as it became rougher and more inclined. They were silent, except for the occasional "this way" or "over there" from Tifa.

Link was starting to wonder just when they would start on the alternate path when he heard voices ahead of them. He stopped suddenly, listening for the location of the voices. It sounded like they were on the other side of some trees ahead of them.

Tifa and Shia kept walking on.

"Hey, wait, stop!" Link whispered harshly. He ran up to grab Shia and Tifa, but it was too late.

"Hey, did you hear something?" asked a hoarse-sounding voice from up ahead.

Link watched as Tifa and Shia exchanged worried glances, then looked back at Link.

"I'll be right back... I'm gonna check around a bit. Lend me your lantern for a minute," said the voice. Then, a sound Link had heard all too often rang out into the night.

The familiar sound of a sword unsheathing.

"Tifa, Shia... Move very quietly. Go into those trees," said Link in a whisper, pointing to some trees off to their left.

Tifa seemed confused, but agreed. She obviously hadn't counted on any guards being at that part of the mountain. Shia looked more aware of what was going on, and appeared to be less tired as adrenaline pumped into her body. THe two of them started moving towards the trees. However, they moved far too slowly. Just as they were entering the trees to hide, a Keystone guard in old, battle-scarred armor walked out and caught sight of them.

"Hey! What are you two doing here? Trespassing?" he yelled fiercely.

"I- No... Why...why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be at a meeting?" stuttered Tifa, losing her composure.

The guard approached them brandishing his sword. "Oh, I see. A smart one, eh? Well that information is confidential to the likes of trespassers. It appears as if I'll have to tie you up for the night," the guard said. He pointed the sword at the girls. "Now c'mon! Don't make me kill you!" he said, waving his sword in the direction he wanted the girls to move while putting emphasis on the word "kill".

Tifa looked behind the guard. "Wait... You did say the _two_ of us, right?" she asked, noticing that Link had disappeared.

"I don't think I stuttered, brat. Now get moving!" the guard ordered, pushing the two girls forward.

"Hey, watch it! We're only children!" shouted Tifa, cashing herself before she fell. Shia did the same, stumbling forward a bit.

The guard grunted. "Well, around here, even children can be cunning. You know Kain's kids? They're a good example. In fact, it was me that caught them. They almost got away, but I was still smarter," the guard laughed, grinning with a toothy mouth. He guided them forward and through the trees he had come through.

Link raised his head and watched as the girls disappeared with the guard through the trees. At the last second, he had hugged the ground, pulling his cloak entirely over him, hoping that the brown tone of it would camouflage his form from the guard in the rain and against the muddy surface of the mountain.

"Great," he muttered to himself. "And here I am without a weapon."

Overhead, lightning flashed, and a loud crack of thunder sounded, heralding an even fiercer downpour of rain from the dark sky above.

Link climbed to his feet, stripped his muddy cloak off, and threw it at the base of a tree. He knew it would only slow him down. The boy couldn't believe what he was about to attempt. It wasn't often he had to go against any enemy unarmed. Of course, he'd been through worse before, but not with two hostages at stake. Link searched the ground for anything that might be of use to him. After a while, he found a good sized rock that fit perfect in the palm of his hand.

At least he had somewhat of a weapon, he reasoned to himself. He crouched down low and moved toward the trees, nearer to the rock wall in an attempt to circle around where his enemies might bel. If he could get around the outside of them, then maybe he could get a good view.

Link slowly started to move through the trees, keeping as close to the shadow the wall provided as possible. After a few feet, he made it to a point where the trees banked off in another direction, allowing a clearing to be formed on the other side of the trees. When he got to where he could see all the way through the trees, he saw a flickering campfire. A small structure that appeared to be like a lean-to was helping protect the fire from the rain, giving it life.

One guard was sitting next to the campfire, laughing while the man who had captured Tifa and Shia tied the girls up on the side of a hut that appeared to be newly constructed. Tifa was scowling at the first guard, trying to kcik him as he tied her up. She got a few off on him, but all it did was bounce off of his thick armor.

"You won't get away with this!" yelled Tifa angrily. "You don't realize who I am!"

"Okay missy," the man laughed as he finished tying the knots. "Why don't you tell me exactly who it is that you are, then?"

Tifa dropped her cold glare and replaced it with more of a worried expression. "I'm... I can't... I can't tell you. If he ever found out..." Tifa trailed off, speaking half to the guard, half to herself. Link got the feeling that Tifa had never been caught before, and if her father found out that she was helping his opponent, then he might not be too happy. The blond girl closed her eyes. To Link, it looked like she was thinking deeply on the situation she was in.

Link decided he had to act now while he had the chance to. The girls had the guards distracted, so it was the perfect opportunity. Gathering his courage, he kicked off from the wall to give him an extra burst of speed and dashed into the scene. The guards got about two seconds of awareness of him before they were hit by his attack. Link had chucked the rock right at the head of the guard tying the girls up. The rock collided hard, leaving a bloody wound on his forehead. He collapsed instantly to the ground, rolling limply down the slope until a tree stopped him.

Within seconds of hurling the rock, Link slid into the fire, kicking it and scattering hot ashes and sharp branches into the face of the seated guard. In a fury of screams, he threw himself off of the log he was sitting on and rolled on the ground, rubbing his face and eyes with his gloved hand.

Link frantically searched the area for what he wanted. His heart skipped a beat when he saw it. The glint of steel in the firelight called him over to the sword the guard had used to capture Tifa and Shia. Link ran to it and picked it up. He hastily moved over to the girls and sliced their bindings, cutting the prisoners free.

"Get out of here! Meet me further up the trail!" Link shouted over the guard's screams.

Tifa was too stunned to speak. She stood still, looking from Link to the guards with wide eyes. Finally, it was Shia who acted. She grabbed Tifa by the collar and pulled her away and out of the clearing, disappearing in the trees.

Link had no time to watch them go. He turned around quickly to see the guard standing with his left hand holding the left side of his face, while scrambling for his sword with his right hand. From what Link could see, the guard's shaved face had specks of black all over it, and blood was running down his chin, washing away in the rain.

Taking his stance, Link held his sword ready, waiting for the guard to make a move. With only one good eye, Link figured the guard couldn't see very much, especially in the rain. The man was still moaning in pain, but he managed to unsheathe his sword and, with a shaky hand, aimed it at Link.

"I don't think you want to do that," said Link quietly.

"I'm g-going to k-kil you," the guard said in between sobs.

Releasing his face to grip the sword with both hands, the guard gave Link a fierce look. The guard's eye, which had been scratched and pierced with sticks from the fireplace, dripped blood down his cheek. It ran off of his chin and dropped to the ground and on his plated boots.

"_I'm going to kill you!_" the guard screamed as he charged at Link.

* * *

**End:**_ Chapter Eight: First Blood Spilled_  



	9. Abandoned

**_Years Away_****_  
_By Joker's Specter**

**_Chapter Nine: _**_Abandoned_

* * *

Link shifted his stance at the last second and brought his sword up to block the charging guard. With a sharp clanging sound, the two swords collided. The guard had brute force on his side, so Link was forced to jump back, but Link knew the fight was far from over.

"I said, you _don't_ want to do that," Link shouted, calculating his next move. He watched the guard's movement carefully.

The man swung horizontally at Link, but the boy simply ducked under the blow and stepped up to the guard's side. The slower man couldn't turn fast enough to match Link's movements.

Yelling in a rage of fury, the armored guard brought the sword around with one hand awkwardly, aiming for Link's head. The green-clothed boy easily jumped back, being careful not to slip in the rain. He shifted his grip on his sword, then sprung forward to strike at the guard. The older man had the advantaged in the attack with his armor. Link's sword bounced harmlessly off of the guard's armored shoulder, barely missing his face.

The guard attempted a vertical strike over his head, gripping the sword tightly in both of his hands. Link easily rolled out of the way and moved behind the guard. The guard spun around, trying to get sight of Link, made even more difficult by the fact that he only had one working eye. Link had stepped back, preparing for another attack. he held his sword in both hands, angled back behind him in a mid-crouch. The guard, finally catching sight of the young boy, charged.

As the charging soldier brought his sword up in a golf-swing style attack, Link's eyes narrowed. The attack would have hit Link, but the hero reacted just in time. With a loud yell, he swung on his toe, holding his sword outward. The spin attack knocked the sword from the guard's grip, sending it hurling through the wet night air. The second time Link came around in his spin attack, the sword clanged off of the guard's armor, putting a good sized dent in the thick metal. The force was enough to stop the guard's rush, and send him stumbling backwards.

Link stood still, breathing hard. He stared at the groaning man, who was laying on the ground on his back. The man had his god eye open, fixated on the boy. He appeared to be panting even harder than Link.

"I told you that you didn't want to do that," Link said softly as he approached the fallen man. He held the sword tip out to the guard's throat. "Turn over onto your stomach," the boy commanded.

The guard widened his eye, and then nodded his head. He rolled over onto his stomach with difficulty. After the man was positioned with his palms down into the mud and his face inches from the ground, Link raised his sword and brought it down hard.

Following a loud thud, the guard was knocked out. Link had smacked him in the head with the hilt of his sword. After the Hylian boy made sure the guard was alive, just unconscious, he went and checked on the other guard.

The other guard was in worse shape than his partner. The wound on his head was significant. The bloody laceration on the man's balding head was dripping blood, and Link knew if he didn't tend to it, the guard would die. Link rose to his feet and walked out of the clearing in search of his cloak. He stood in the area where he thought he had left it until lightning flashed, and he was able to spot it. Grabbing it, he walked back to teh clearing and used the sword to slice a strip off of the bottom of the drenched cloak.

Link dressed the wound with the strip of cloth, and then raised the guard's head and slipped the remainder of the cloak underneath it, giving the man a more comfortable surface to lay his head on.

"That ought to do some good..." Link said quietly, observing his work. After he was satisfied the man would likely live, the boy grabbed the heavy sword he had confiscated from the guard and continued up the trail to meet Tifa and Shia.

**!-L- -I- -G- -H- -T-!  
!-A- -R- -R- -O- -W-!**

After a few minutes of traveling, Link came upon a junction that branched off into two separate canyons. He had no idea how he was going to find out which way Tifa and Shia went. He stood at the entrance to the canyons and waited, hoping they would come to find him. After some time had passed, he began to decide on which direction he should try. Luck shone on him when he heard a voice.

"_Link!_" shouted Shia's voice. Link saw her running down the muddy slope towards him from the path on the left. He was relieved that he wouldn't have to try to figure out which path to take.

"Link! What happened back there?" asked Shia in an excited voice as she came up next to Link.

Link glanced past Shia to see if Tifa was anywhere in sight, then said, "They'll live."

Shia shook her head. "No, I mean, how did you take out two guards like it was nothing?" she asked as anxious as before.

Link looked at Shia for a second. "Were they supposed to be good?" he asked sincerely. He figured they were just goons who had no real training at all.

Shia's mouth hung open a little. When she managed to pull herself together, she said, "Well, it freaked out Tifa a little bit. She's in some sort of weird mood... But still, that was amazing! Even people twice your age struggle against two of Keystone's guards!"

Link smiled shyly. "I had the element of surprise I guess... It wasn't really all that great," he said softly. He wasn't used to being honored like that. It was as if all that he had done back in Hyrule seemed like nothing, and taking out those two guards was everything. It made him feel a little weird, so he tried to change the subject. "Where's Tifa?" he questioned, looking past Shia again.

Shia looked behind her and up the trail. "She's sitting on a rock up there a little bit. She won't say anything, though. I'm not sure why..." she replied sadly.

Link started walking up the muddy hill as rain slammed against him. Shia followed closely behind, being careful not to slip on anything. The rain was still as rough as ever, but the lightning seemed to have subsided. Without the lightning, the boy couldn't see much further than a few feet in front of him.

After walking a few hundred yards, Link stopped and turned back to Shia. "Where did you say Tifa was again?"  
"I'm right here..." said a small voice to Link's left.

Link squinted his eyes and peered through the darkness. He could vaguely see the outline of Tifa. "Oh... There you are," he said.

When Link got closer, he began to see Tifa more clearly. She was sitting on a large rock with her knees pulled up to her chest. She stared straight ahead with wide eyes, staring at nothing in particular.

"Er... What's wrong?" Link asked her. He looked back to Shia for an answer, but she simply shrugged.

Tifa's eyes shifted to look at the sword that Link was wielding. "You fought them?" she asked.

Link looked down at his sword, shifting it uncomfortably in his hands. "Yes... I had to."

Tifa went back to staring at nothing. "Ah... Heh... You know, I'm not sure why... But I never realized before now that you could actually fight. It just didn't seem possible that someone as small as you could fight like that." She shook her head, and added, "I guess if you were able to take out two of Keystone's guards, that means you can fight really well."

Link didn't know what to say. Tifa was in some sort of trance, and it was weirding him out. "Yes, I can fight. I've known how to use a sword for a while now..." he replied hesitantly.

"Well?" shouted Tifa, standing up suddenly and staring Link in the eyes. "Does that mean you'll kill my father if you get the chance? If you can take out two of Keystone's finest guards like they're nothing, then what are you planning on doing to my father, huh?"

Shia stepped forward. "Tifa...?"

"I don't know what I'm even doing! Why am I helping you? I'm going against my father. You're his _opponent_. I should be at home helping _him_!"

Link was stunned. He never thought Tifa would think of that, especially at a regarding where they were at. Why wait until they were almost to their destination to say all of that? What did he do to frighten her? "No, Tifa, you don't understand..." Link started to say.

"No, _you_ don't understand! My father puts loyalty before everything. If he ever found out that I wasn't loyal... It doesn't matter... I... I can't help you anymore. I'm not going to. I'm sorry, Link," Tifa said, her voice calming down significantly.

Link looked hard into her eyes. He couldn't tell if it was rain or tears that was dripping down her eyes. He had no idea how he could reassure her that he had no intention of killing her father. The two of them just stared at each other for a few seconds. Tifa dropped her head finally, and started to walk away.

"W...wait! Tifa! What about the Shrine?" shouted Shia, running to catch up to Tifa and stop her.

Tifa froze in place and looked back at her friend. "I can't help him anymore, Piper... I don't know why I did it in the first place. I'm so stupid..." She turned away from the two. "I need to go home to my dad," she added, and then walked out of sight.

Link would have never expected Tifa to leave him there. Shia didn't seem to have expected it, either. She just stood there, not budging. Her mouth was moving a little bit, as it if were trying to find the words that could call Tifa back, but nothing came out of her mouth.

"You should go with her, too," Link said finally.

After a few seconds, Shia snapped back into reality, turned to look at Link, and said, "I... I can't. What about you?"

Link gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about me. I've been through much worse. All I'll need you to do is give me directions to the Shrine, and then leave the rest to me."

* * *

**End:**_ Chapter Nine: Abandoned_


	10. Not One to Give Up

**_Years Away_****_  
_By Joker's Specter**

**_Chapter Ten: _**_Not One to Give Up_

* * *

"Link, no..." started Shia.

Link held up his hand to stop her. "Listen, Shia. You've already been in danger because of me. I can't allow that again... I don't like seeing my friends in danger," Link stated strongly.

Link saw Shia hesitate. The differences between her and Tifa were obvious in situations like this. However, Link couldn't blame Tifa. Her family was involved, so what she did made some sense, even if she did pick the worst possible time to back out of it.

"Please Link... Please let me go with you. I don't care if I get hurt. I want to help you," Shia replied, pleading with the young boy. "I'd feel so bad if I left you out here all alone...?"

Link stared at the girl quietly, then sighed. "Shia... People tend to get hurt with me. We've already seen an example of what could happen... I don't think it's a good idea for you to come with me. I'm sorry."

Shia lowered her head. After a silent moment, she looked up, defeated. "Just...just follow this trail. That's the first step. Eventually you'll come to a big pile of rocks that has the main trail running beside it... You climb up on the rocks and follow them instead of the main trail. That's our alternate path."

"Rocks. Got it," Link said with a nod.

"After about fifteen minutes you'll see a small cave off to your left side. It's a secret entrance to the Shrine. You can only see it from on top of the rocks... It's hidden."

Link made a mental note of what Shia was saying. He hoped he could spot the entrance with how low visibility was.

"Thank you, Shia. I'll be back by morning," Link said with a smile.

"I know..." replied Shia quietly. She looked hesitant again, but then gave in and hugged Link. "Be careful, okay?"

Link nodded and returned the embrace. "I always am. If you hurry, you should be able to catch up with Tifa. I don't want either of you to have to get home on your own," said Link. He released Shia, turned around, and began to tread up the muddy pathway through the heavy downpour.

"Be careful Link!" shouted Shia after him. "And good luck!"

The boy turned around to wave to Shia, showing her that he heard her, and then continued on up the steep slope, into the canyon up ahead.

**!-S- -P- -I- -N- -A-!  
!-T- -T- -A- -C- -K-!**

Link couldn't believe how slippery the path had become. Sure, it had been raining hard, so naturally it would be hard to traverse, but it seemed as if the trail wasn't even made to walk on by anything. Every other step he took threatened to slide his feet out from under him. Still, he continued on, using his as a type of walking stick to dig into the ground and give him a firm hold each step.

Every inch of his body was soaked. His bangs hung down into his eyes, running water over his face. The boy's hat was acting like a faucet, with water continuously flowing off of it. Mud caked his boots so much that they weighed three times their original weight.

None of that bothered Link as much as being unable to see where he was going. The wall of rock and trees on either side of him helped him stay on the path, but how was he going to know where the pile of rocks would be? What if he walked right past it?

Even if he did find the rocks, he knew he'd have a hard time finding the hidden entrance. If he made it that far, it could take all night to spot it. The hero wasn't particularly hopeful he'd even make it that far, as signs of a flash flood began to show its ugly face.

He figured he'd be safe once he got to the rocks, and then he could take his time finding the entrance. But where were they? Link stopped walking and surveyed the area around him. He put his free hand up to shield his eyes from the rain. Ahead of him he saw nothing but darkness, and the faint image of trees on either side of him notified him that he was still in the center of the path. Link silently wished that he had kept his cloak with him, if only to help shield his eyes from the rain.

Gathering whatever energy he still had, Link started to run as fast as he could, straight up the slippery hill. He was determined to reach the cave no matter what obstacles showed up. Getting to the Shrine was all that was important to him at that moment.

On and on Link ran, using his legs, hands, and the bulky sword to propel himself further and further up the mountain. Rain was whipping against his face, but he couldn't feel it anymore. His whole body had gone numb from the cold, stinging rain. The weather was doing more damage to him than some of Ganondorf's stronger minions, it seemed. The higher LInk got, the worse the path became. Twice he had tripped over rocks and landed face first in the cold mud, and he slipped on the mud more times than he could count.

At one particular moment, he slipped and fell into the mud, losing his grip on the sword. Instinct made him catch the sword, but he gripped it at the blade instead of the hilt, and as he fell to the ground, the sword sliced into his palm. Crying out in pain and anger, Link climbed to his feet and grabbed the sword with his good hand. Wincing, he threw the sword ahead of him in anger. A faint clanging sound resonated back to Link.

Link walked forward with his good hand out in front of him, using all of his strength to dig his feet into the mud so he could move forward. The sound had given him hope, as he prayed that the sword had hit the pile of rocks. After a few seconds, Link could make out the shadowy figure of a rock wall ahead of him.

Despite how much he ached, Link smiled to himself. Things were starting to look up.

**!-S- -P- -I- -N- -A-!  
!-T- -T- -A- -C- -K-!**

The rocks had proven to be very difficult to climb up. They acted as a miniature waterfall from the rainstorm, and it took all of Link's strength to reach the top. As he found a safe spot that he convinced himself wouldn't throw his body off of the rock pile, he collapsed in a puddle and caught his breath.

For the first time, he got a good look at his left hand, and grimaced when he saw just how badly the sword had sliced it. Blood was protruding from it at a rapid rate, making Link a little worried. He didn't have much to wrap his hand with, and he didn't have anything to make tears with. His right hand wasn't strong enough to rip the tough fabric of his tunic.

Finally, he settled on taking his hat off and gripping it in his hand, and then wrapping it around the best he could. Link knew it wouldn't make things too much better, but at least it would slow the flow of blood.

Link climbed to his feet, and immediately felt a blast of wind that almost knocked him off of the rocky wall. Link quickly grabbed fell to his stomach and hugged the ledge, inches from being pushed completely off.

Observing the area, Link saw nothing but the tops of trees. The view would have been good if the visibility was better, but with the rain and darkness, he couldn't see much. Getting his bearings, Link looked to the left group of trees. If he continued on the wall, the hidden entrance would be in that direction. Ever so slowly , Link crawled along the rock wall, always looking to the left. After a few minutes, the trees merged into a mountainside, and soon he saw nothing but a steep slope to his left.

Much later, Link was pondering the idea of giving up and going back down. He knew how to get at least that far, and by the next night the storm clouds would have passed. He reasoned it would give him a better chance at spotting the cave. He thought for a moment, and then mentally slapped himself for thinking of giving up. He wasn't like that. Link stood into a crouch, and moved against the wind, keeping his head down low and always turned to the left, surveying for any change in the terrain. He knew his chances of finding the cave were slim, but he had to try. He just needed to go a little further.

Link was constantly growing weaker, but he was making a faster pace walking rather than crawling. After some time, he noticed a change in the mountain side to his left. The slope began to curve into a shape that provided a small ledge within jumping distance. A few trees were growing on the ledge, waving in the wind. Link could just barely make out an opening in the mountain side that was placed between two of the trees.

Feeling a flood of relief wash over his body, Link began to grin. His happiness was fleeting, though, as he realized that to get to the cave, the jump he had to make would possibly kill him if he missed. The drop would at the very least break his legs. In normal conditions, he could maybe just barely make the jump. In the rainy, windy weather, he wasn't as confident.

Link ran his eyes over the ledge. Jumping would be easier than making the grab. He always had a good leap, but he didn't have any plan on securing a safe grab if he didn't jump far enough. The ledge was definitely slippery, and there was also the problem of the wind; it was blowing against him, so it would impede his jump, making it even more difficult.

The boy looked around him for a way out of making the jump. Silently hoping for a log or some rope, he checked everywhere. His heart fell as he realized that there was nothing that could help him. Sighing, he turned back to face the cave, squinting in the rain. He stepped back a few steps until he was at the edge of the rock wall, and then ran and jumped with all the might he had.

* * *

**End:**_ Chapter Ten: Not One to Give Up_


	11. Savior

Authors Note: Here's your next chapter.  
  
______________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Disclaimer: I would have no problem taking ownership of Zelda...however...I don't have ownership of Zelda...  
  
______________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Chapter 11  
  
Link felt a sharp pain in his chest as he caught onto the cave mouth. He held on tightly as he tried to recover from hitting the face of the rock as hard as he did. Apparently, even as numb as his skin was, his bones still felt pain.  
  
Pulling himself up the best he could, Link slowly entered the top of the cave. He didn't want to let go, since the cave was vertical and he didn't know how far down it went. Slowly, link used his hands and feet to carefully lower himself down by pressing them against the walls, which were strange, because they were in a perfect circle all around.  
  
Link slowly decended down the cave the best he could without slipping. Rainwater was trickling down the walls, making it even worse. He didn't know how much longer he would have the strength to keep himself from falling.  
  
A few minutes after he started moving downward, Link's leg slipped. Surprised, Link pushed more force onto his hand, which then slipped upwards. Link's head was forced to smack into the wall. Link felt no pain from this, because he was soon rendered unconscious.  
  
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Seeing things in his dreams was by no means new to Link. Having been through revalations back in Hyrule while he slept, and recently ones of Navi, Link wasn't at all surprised to experience yet another.  
  
This one, though, had absolutely nothing to do with Navi. In fact, this one didn't even feel like a past ones, but instead, it felt like it was happening as of that moment. There were no jumbled pictures, just clear thoughts. That's all it was, just thoughts. No images whatsoever.  
  
"I wonder if Link will ever make it down... I'm so stupid.. why did I leave him up there?? It wasn't his fault he got stuck in this land. He's trying to do a good deed by finding his friend, and what do I do? I leave him with nothing! ...Father... what would you do if you were me...." Link recognized this as Tifa's thoughts. Link was relieved to see that she at least thought of him as a good guy. The next set of thoughts were different.  
  
"Maybe I should go back and help Link... The storm seems to be picking up even more than before. Well... I have no doubt that he can do it on his own....but still....what if he gets lost? Would it be my fault....or Tifa's? I thought Tifa had some feelings for Link... Perhaps it is really me that has feelings for him..." thought Shia. Link hadn't thought of Shia liking him, just because she wasn't at all outgoing like Tifa was.  
  
The next set of thoughts that Link saw, wasn't understandable in any form of words, but more of feelings. Feelings of love and care flooded into Link's mind. This was unlike anything Link had ever experienced. All his worries and doubts were soon smothered and lost in the flood.  
  
Consciousness came back to him.  
  
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"Link, wake up," commanded a powerful, yet kind voice.  
  
Link opened his eyes just a little, only to be blinded by an impossibly bright light. He snapped his eyes shut again, and muttered, "So I was a sleep after all."  
  
The voice that had spoken to him before chuckled, then said, "In a sense, yes... physically speaking. Mentally, however, you couldn't have been more awake."  
  
Link didn't understand. "What do you mean?" he asked.  
  
"Well...your body was...ah...'asleep' and unable to move. A better way to describe it, would be to say that means that you couldn't ahve moved even if you mentally commanded it. It was 'asleep', therefore you couldn't have control your body. At least, not in the state you were in after that fall."  
  
"what do you mean by that?" Asked Link.  
  
There came a great sigh, then the voice continued. "You were dead, Link."  
  
Link snapped his eyes open, ignoring the blinding pain. "I was what?!" he shouted to whoever was talking. "I was dead?!?"  
  
"Oh yes, you were extremely lucky," replied the voice.  
  
Link couldn't have been more confused. "How is that lucky???" he demanded. Very slowly his eyes started to become more clear. "And how did I die??"  
  
"Well, the information that you failed to recieve, was that the tunnel you feel down takes about an hour for humanoids to travel down the way you were with your hands and feet. When you fell, you made it to the bottom in record time...which is unfortunate, because you also died on impact," said the voice.  
  
Trying to think this through, Link was still doubting the fact that he died. It was too hard to believe, and didn't make any sense. Looking at the huge being that was slowly coming into view, he asked, "So how was I lucky? I don't recall anyone being lucky for dying."  
  
"Well, you were lucky, because you happened to die in my domain, which is the only place my healing is effective," responded the voice.  
  
"And what domain is this?" asked Link, his vision finally becoming clear.  
  
"Well, I call it home, but you refer to it as the Fairy Shrine."  
  
At that moment, Link's vision cleared, and before Link, floating over what appeared to be a lake, was the largest, most beautiful fairy he had ever seen.  
  
Link was speechless.  
  
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"Well don't just stand there. You have more questions for me, I don't have all day. I'm a very busy fairy you know. Probably the busiest you'll ever come by," said the Fairy.  
  
This particular fairy happened to look different than any fairy he had ever seen. She had the overall fairy look, but was wearing a white robe and a golden crown. She appeared to be sitting down on the air above the lake, and was eyeing Link, who was wondering how a fairy as great as this one could possibly be busy. He only had one thought.   
  
"Are you the Queen of Fairies?" he managed to say.  
  
"Wha? Of course not! There is no Queen of Fairies. If there was, I'd tell the Goddesses to give HER my job. I'm more of a savior." She replied.  
  
"Savior?"  
  
"Yes. A good analogy would be that I am to fairies as you are to Hyrule. Except I don't fight bad guys."  
  
"I see....so what is it you do then?" wondered Link.  
  
The Fairy thought of this for a moment, then said, "Tell me link, did you know that there are precisely 2,535,015 in our world?"  
  
"Wow, that many?" Link said. Suddenly Link's eyes widened as he remembered why he had even come here. "Can you tell me where my friend Navi is?!" he asked excitedly.  
  
"We'll get to that in a moment. What I am telling you takes part in where she is. Anyway, there are 2,535,015 fairies in the world right now, and it's been around that many ever since the God's placed us here," Link didn't understand what she was saying, but remained silent.  
  
"You've seen fairies die, I'm sure. Every time you call on one to heal you, their body dies and cease to exist. However, like you, they also exist mentally and spiritually as a spirit. The fairy spirits are then instantly transported back to me. And can you guess what I do with them?"  
  
"Um....what?" asked Link.  
  
The Fairy smiled and said, "I create new bodies for them and send them on their way!"  
  
"Wait...so...is that what happened to me? I had a new body created?" questioned Link. He was finally beginning to understand what was going on.  
  
"Well, no...see, it doesn't work the same way with you. I can only create a new body for fairies. For you, I simply healed your old one. Like I said, I can only heal within my domain. So if you had died anywhere outside the Fairy Shrine, I could do nothing."  
  
Link was amazed. "So I really did die..." he said out loud.  
  
"Yes, I've already told you that. The greatest stroke of luck, however, was the fact that your spirit ended up back with your body where I could heal it. It ran off blindly at first. That's how spirits are you know...blind. The only connection they even have with the physical world is thoughts, so they don't exactly see," responded the Fairy, floating calmly in the air on her back.  
  
"Yes...I remember that now. Tifa, Shia, and then something else. Something that made me feel at peace," said Link quietly.  
  
"That was me healing your spirit," commented the Fairy. She turned around to look at Link again. "Something made you come back to your body. I'm not sure what, but whatever the reason, you owe that reason your life."  
  
Link nodded slowly, as if in a trance. He was in deep thought about something.  
  
"I suppose you'll want to know how you remember what happened while you were dead."  
  
Breaking out of his trance, Link looked directly at the Fairy and said, "Yeah, I guess."  
  
The Fairy spun around to a reclining position, then said, "Well, you'll notice that you only remember the thoughts, and that the actual traveling never seemed to happen. Well, that's because, since you were listening to people's thoughts, you were using their brain. Since you were using a brain, you were capable of having memories. These memories then become a part of you...your spirit...even though they weren't actually your memories."  
  
"Is that why I was able to remember Tifa and Shia's name while I was...'dead'?" questioned Link.  
  
"Yes. Now that you know what happened with you...back to Navi."  
  
Link made sure he was giving her his full attention.  
  
"I'm not sure how to explain this Link... but Navi the Fairy no longer exists."  
  
Link's expression of hope fell, and he said, "You mean her body...right?" asked Link hopefully.  
  
"I'm afraid not Link. I really mean it. Navi the Fairy no longer exists."  
  
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JokersSpecter: I was skimming over a few previous chapters, just to get my story straight after being gone for so long, when I realized...I had a LOT of grammar and spelling errors in previous chapters. I don't know what do to...laugh and let it go, or complain and go back and fix it.  
  
I guess one day when I have nothing better to do than to be a perfectionist, I'll go back and fix it all.  
  
Oh yeah...how'd you like this chapter? I took an good amount of time writing it.  
  
Review!  
  
JokersSpecter@hotmail.com - E-mail me for whatever... Or add me to MSN Messanger if you wish to talk to me. 


	12. Some Hope Left

Authors Note: Here's your next chapter.  
  
______________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda....sorry if I lie in the future and say that I do own it...but yeah...I just wish I did...  
  
______________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Chapter 12  
  
Link was in shock. The more he thought about it, the less sense it would make.  
  
"I thought you said that fairies can't die!" Link stated.  
  
"Well...that's true...I did say that, and I stand by what I said as well. Fairies only lose their bodies, not their spirites," replied the Fairy. She started to pace around, which was weird, because she was floating, not walking." It is a confusing thing, now that I think about it. I guess I shouldn't say that there are 2,535,015 fairies in the world anymore, but one less.  
  
"What are you talking about?! Tell me how it is that she died!" Yelled Link. He was getting furious at the Fairy, just because everything she said was confusing him even more.  
  
"Oh, it's not a simple story at all, and quite sad at that. I'm almost not sure myself. Even I don't have the full story."  
  
"...Well...tell me what it is that you know then!" The rage combined with Link's sadness for losing his friend were causing tears to form in Link's eyes. The Fairy stopped pacing, then turned around and looked Link straight in the eyes. She appeared to be deciding whether to tell Link or not.  
  
"Well Link...I'm afraid I cannot give you the whole story," she said at last.  
  
"Why not??"   
  
"Because the Goddesses don't allow me to say such things."  
  
"...So what CAN you tell me?!" Link yelled again.  
  
"Hmm, well...not much. I'd be stripped of my immortality if I did tell you. I suppose I can tell you that it was by her own will that this happened."  
  
"...Are...are you saying...that she wanted to die?"  
  
"Link...since when did I say she wanted to die?" the Fairy said, then winked.  
  
"What? ..But you just said..."  
  
"Think about all that I've told you Link...maybe then the answer will come to you. Until then, I'm afraid that our time is up, and you must go. Although I did have a nice little chat with you...in fact...you're the first person I've talked to other than a fairy or one of the Goddesses since the beginning," she stated.  
  
Link was starting to think that this Fairy wasn't as smart as she put out to be. "Eh..what about all the people who know about the Fairy Shrine?"  
  
"Oh yes, but I've never talked to them. You see, we're in a second level chamber. Right above us is the 'shrine' as they know it. Even the entrance you came through is up there....Ugh, it sure was a messy job getting you're remains down here...."  
  
Link tried not to think about his remains, and said, "So Tifa and Shia don't know about you either?"  
  
"Hmm, can't say that I know them... Ah well, time to get moving Link. If you step up onto the lake here, you'll be transported up to the upper level. Ask somebody up there to help you out."  
  
Link was about to jump through, but stopped himself to ask one last question, "Does this mean that Navi isn't dead?"  
  
The Fairy, sensing his need for some kind of comfort, gave him one last answer. "Last time I saw her, she was alive and well. Try to remember what I've told you, maybe you'll figure it out. If not, maybe sometime in the future I'll be able to tell you. Until then however, I'm afraid I can't say anything else.  
  
Link wiped his eyes and nodded at the Fairy. Gathering his courage, he jumped into the lake.  
  
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Expecting a splash, Link fell onto hard ground. When he stood up and looked around, he couldn't believe his eyes.  
  
There were hundreds, possibly thousands of fairies all around him. Link got dizzy just from trying to focus on one as it fluttered around the mass of other fairies. Link shook his head, and walked foward, trying to find a clear path out of this place. He had to get back to Keystone to get Epona.  
  
Not being able to see was one thing, but Link was getting extremely dizzy. Everything around him was a moving blur of pink, blue, green, purple, yellow, and many other colors of faires.   
  
Link decided to try to talk to them. "Er, excuse me...I need...to get out of here..." he asked some fairies floating by his head.   
  
Before they could answer, a high pitched voice became audible over the noise of the many fairies that said, "The rain cleared up! Time to go everyone!"  
  
Within seconds, every fairy started to move towards one spot at the far end of the cavern. Like a mass of ants they flew towards the wall then straight up through a hole that appeared to be the one Link entered through. Link ran after the fairies, trying to get the attention of one of them, but soon, they had all exited the cavern, leaving the cavern only lit by the glowing fountain that Link had teleported from.  
  
Link didn't know what to do. He couldn't see anything but the fountain, and he had no idea where to go, except back out the tunnel he had entered the shrine through, but that could take hours to climb out of.  
  
Suddenly, out of no where, a fairy appeared right above the fountain. The fairy seemed a little dazed for a moment, and would fly in circles. A few seconds after flying around, she seemed to remember how to fly again, and started flying towards the hole leading out of the shrine.  
  
"Wait!" Link called after her. She stopped suddenly, turned around, and flew up to Link's face.  
  
"Yes? Can I help you?" she questioned.  
  
"Oh...um..." Link started. He didn't think she'd actually stop and help him.  
  
"If you could please hurry, I'm a little tired, as I've just been given a new body... I must be on my way as soon as possible," said the Fairy.  
  
"Oh...right, sorry. I need to find a way out of here that's fast. Can you tell me how I can do that?"  
  
"sure! Just go jump in the other fountain. It will take you to the fountain at Keystone," the Fairy said excitedly. Apparently she was eager to help Link.  
  
"Other...um...what other fountain?" asked Link.  
  
"Right...forgot...only fairies can see it. It's what we use as transport, see. So a good portion of the fountains are hidden. Anyway, close your eyes real fast, and I'll help you see it."  
  
Link obeyed the Fairy's command, and felt her flutter close to his eyes. A few seconds later, she told him to open them. Link jumped back in surprise, not only could he see a fountain, which seemed to have just appeared out of no where, but the whole room was lit up as well. It no longer looked like a cavern, instead the walls were glowing with a bright green light.  
  
"Whoa..." was all Link could get out.  
  
"Well, hope that helps. I've got to go now, bye!" the Fairy said, then flew off and exited the cavern.  
  
Link didn't have time to admire the newfound style of cavern. Instead, he ran and jumped into the fountain that would lead him to keystone.  
  
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JokersSpecter: Well, one reader saw a mistake I made early on. Apparently the game shows Navi fly off when you go travel through time at the end of the game. I'm not one for noticing things like this...either that or I just don't notice anything, but yeah. Thanks to Mark Robinson for pointing this out. (Dunno your fan fic name.) Let's just pretend that never happened in the game...for the story's sake...hehe.  
  
Well, I'm off to bed now...yeah...happy birthday to me today...or yesterday...whenever this actually posts.  
  
JokersSpecter@hotmail.com - E-mail me for whatever... Or add me to MSN Messanger if you wish to talk to me.  
  
Review! 


	13. Back to the Room

Authors Note: Here's your next chapter.  
  
______________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Disclaimer: Zelda isn't mine. Feel free to take anything in this story that is mine. Which would consist of pretty much the original characters only...  
  
______________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Chapter 13  
  
Link's newfound power to see what the fairies saw wasn't enough to help him land on his feet. Coming out of the fountain in Keystone, Link ended up landing on his side, smacking his face onto the ground. Groaning, Link stood up and rubbed his cheek. He pulled his hand away and looked at it. It was smeared with blood. The cool night air blew across the wound and stung it. Apparently it had stopped raining.  
  
"I better get that taken care of as soon as possible..." thought Link. Looking around, Link recognized this as the fountain at the center of the market area in Keystone. Link turned in circles, trying to remember which way was the castle. The town was symmetrical on all sides, so every street looked the same. Except one.  
  
Down the street Link saw a building that could only be the Jail. All the windows had bars on them, and it was the only building around that had a guard sitting outside the door. He was asleep, but Link knew he was still supposed to be guarding the building.  
  
"Cyrus," thought Link. He had almost completely forgotten about him and his sister, Crystal. He may not be able to help Navi at the moment, but at least he'd be able to help Cyrus and Crystal. Well...he HOPED he could help them. Link wasn't as confident in himself since he'd heard the news of Navi.  
  
Trying to decide whether he should sneak past the guard or knock him out, Link remembered that there was a window. He could sneak around, jump up onto the back wall, and talk to them through that.  
  
Gathering what courage he had left, Link strode towards the Jail cautiously. He was sure that the guard was asleep, but he couldn't take any chances of him waking up. When he reached the Jail, Link quietly turned down the alley of the Jail and the building next to it.   
  
The moon was bright enough that Link could find his way to the wall at the end of the alley. As lightly and quick as he could, Link wall jumped off of the parallel building walls to each side of him, and landed on the wall. Wasting no time, Link crawled over to the window of the Jail and peered through the bars.  
  
The Jail seemed different somehow. Link couldn't see anybody except Cyrus' younger sister, Crystal. She was sleeping on her bed, just as she was when Link last saw her.  
  
Link decided to try to wake her up. "Hey...Crystal.. Wake up!"  
  
Crystal merely stirred in her bed, and continued sleeping. Link attempted to wake her again. On the third time calling her name, she opened her eyes and sat up. After rubbing her eyes and yawning, she turned her head around, looking for whoever was calling her name.  
  
"Crystal...are you okay?" asked Link. Surprised, Crystal turned her head sharply at the window.  
  
"Who...who are you?" she asked.  
  
"Link, now I need to know where Cyrus is. Do you know where he went?"  
  
Crystal's head seemed to sway a little bit, as if she were drunk. Her eyes were only half open, and she didn't look like she was feeling to well. "I think they took him to the castle...up...up where the castle is..." she replied.  
  
Link brain snapped on and started to think why Cyrus would be at the castle. Then another missing item occured to Link. "Hey...where's that one guy...uh, what was his name again? The guy in the other cell...."  
  
"I'm not sure...he was from the castle though, and they put him in the jail a little bit after they put us here. Um...do you know how long it's been since I've been here? I don't...cause I've been asleep most of the time..."  
  
Link shook his head. "No, I'm afraid I don't know how long. Tell me...did Cyrus ever tell you the way to get people out of jail? He told me that there was a way to get somebody in jail out, if there was somebody on the outside of the building. He never told me the rest though."  
  
Crystal nodded slowly and stood up. "He told me that the ceiling was weak, and could be kicked through. But you'll need a rope...it's kinda high up..." Crystal stated.  
  
Standing up to look at the roof, Link noticed that it was, in fact, poor in craftsmanship. It looked like it was made out of clay, and not stone or any other common strong material. Link crouched back down again.  
  
"Why did they make it so weak?" he asked.  
  
"I'm not sure exactly... Maybe they were trying to take shortcuts in making the buildings," Crystal said. She then sat on the ground and layed back, covering her eyes. "Sorry, it's just that my head hurts pretty bad right now... I think I should get back to sleep..."  
  
"Yeah...okay. Hey, listen, I'll be back to get you out tomorrow night. Do you think you can last that long?"  
  
"Yes, it's just a headache...I'll be fine..." she said drowsily.  
  
Link said his good-bye, and crawled slowly along the wall, back down into the alleyway, and walked quietly back to the marketplace.  
  
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Quickly, but quietly, Link bolted through the town in the direction of the castle. Morning would come soon, and he didn't want to be found out of his room. Link only hoped that nobody would spot him. They would only have to describe his green clothes for the king to know it was him.  
  
Link was about half way there, when something surprised Link. Tifa and Shia were hopping over the wall to Link's right. As quick as he could, he jumped behind some crates in front of a house. He struggled to overhear what they were saying.  
  
"Well, looks like we're home," said Tifa, brushing herself off. The two of them started towards the castle, but Shia stopped and looked back towards the wall.  
  
"Do you think that he made it?" asked Shia.  
  
Tifa turned around as well. "Yes...I think he made it. Though I doubt he'll come back here after he finds out whatever he wants to find out."  
  
Shia turned to look at Tifa. "What about his horse?"  
  
"Yeah...I guess he'll come back for that..."  
  
The two of them continued walking slowly towards the castle.  
  
"Do you want him to come back?" questioned Shia.  
  
Tifa was silent for a moment, then said, "I guess...I don't want him and my dad to fight though..."  
  
Shia nodded, then the two of them disappeared out of sight down a street. Link stood up, checking to see if it was clear, and walked slowly after them, making sure he wouldn't be heard or seen by them.  
  
As Link made his way towards the castle, following Shia and Tifa, something was bugging him in the back of his mind. Why would they take Cyrus to the castle this late at night? Link made a mental note to check for any sign of Cyrus at the castle before he went to his room. If Link was going to help him get his sister out, Cyrus would need to be there to help Link out. Link wasn't familiar with this land, and Cyrus was his best bet now that Tifa wasn't going to help, and Shia shouldn't know about the planned jail break.  
  
Link saw the castle as he turned the corner of another street. Tifa and Shia were running across the grass, staying in the shadows of the wall surrounding the castle. They were heading towards Link's room it seemed.  
  
Link repeated everything they did, until he made it to his window. He peeked his head in, making sure Tifa and Shia were out. The door shut just as his head poked up. Link jumped up and into the window, ending his journey back from the Fairy Shrine.  
  
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JokersSpecter: I've got some good chapters planned out. Now I just gotta write em. Make sure you review. The more reviews, the faster I'll bring you a new chapter. ^^  
  
Kinda a sad way to get reviews, isn't it?  
  
JokersSpecter@hotmail.com - E-mail me for whatever... Or add me to MSN Messanger if you wish to talk to me about anything.  
  
Review! 


	14. Tensions Rise

Authors Note: Here's your next chapter.  
  
______________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Zelda.  
  
______________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Chapter 14  
  
Link spent about twenty minutes sneaking around the areas without guards, searching for any clues as to where Cyrus was. Finding none, Link reluctantly went back to his room. He wasn't near as exhausted as he thought he would be. The Fairy Savior that healed him also restored his energy. Without having to walk all the way back to town, Link had plenty of energy to spare.  
  
The young hero spent the majority of his time thinking about his plans that was to be set in motion. Tomorrow night he would release Crystal from the prison, and Cyrus if possible. There were too many problems that could arise. Link would have to be on his best guard tonight.  
  
A few hours later, morning came, and the sun was soon shining brightly through Link's window. Link decided he'd stay in his room for another hour or so before exiting his room again. As it turned out, he really had no choice in the matter...  
  
A light knock sounded at his door. Link sighed, jumped off his bed, and walked over to open it. When his hand reached the doorknob, he hesitated.  
  
There were a few people that Link didn't exactly want to talk to, and he wasn't sure if it was one of them that was on the other side of his door. He took a step back, and waited for a moment. Either the person would open the door themselves, or leave.  
  
After a few seconds passed, the knocking sounded again, followed by someone calling Link's name.  
  
"Shia..." thought Link. He sighed, then walked forward and opened the door.  
  
Shia's eyes went wide as she saw Link. "You're okay!" she exclaimed, jumping forward to hug Link.  
  
Link's arms ended up being pinned to his side, and he stiffened. "H-hey Shia," he said, with a surprised tone of voice.  
  
"Why'd you come back?? Now you've got to fight Tifa's dad! Shia said, releasing Link and stepping back.  
  
"Oh...well, I-"  
  
"What happened there?" Shia interrupted, pointing to Link's wound on his head.  
  
"Nothing really..." said Link. He moved his hair around to cover it up. "I just fell... I cleaned it up last night."  
  
Shia nodded. "Good... Hey...did you find the entrance to the Shrine?"  
  
Link nodded, then shuddered slightly, remembering how he had died falling through the hole.  
  
"That's good. What about your fairy friend? Did the fairies tell you anything about her?"  
  
"The fairies? You mean the-" Link started to say, then caught himself. He remembered just in time that the Fairy Savior's existance wans't known to Shia. "Er...yeah... They told me a few things...most of it I'm still trying to figure out."  
  
"Oh?" was all Shia said.  
  
"Yeah... Well, anyway, today I was thinking that maybe I should speak with the King. I have a few questions that I need to ask him," Link stated.  
  
"Ah..." said Shia, her expression growing sad. "I was hoping we could do something today."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Well... I was thinking we could go out and walk around the town. We could find something fun to do maybe."  
  
At that moment, a guard walked past them. Link stared hard at him, not moving until he was out of earshot.  
  
"Am I even allowed out of the castle?" Link questioned.  
  
Shia just shrugged.  
  
"Godoro said I had to stay in the living quarters... So I'm guessing it's a no..."  
  
Shia sighed. "Yeah...guess so..."  
  
"At least during the day, anyhow..." mentioned Link.  
  
Shia smiled slightly, saying, "I think I'll be sleeping all night tonight as it is. The trip back was tiring. In fact, the only reason I'm not asleep now is because I wanted to see if you were okay."  
  
"Well, I can't say that it was fun...but I got back in one piece..." said Link. "Well...unless you count the cut on my head."  
  
Shia was about to say something, but a guard appeared at the end of the hallway, a different guard than the one that walked past them before.  
  
"Hey, you! Green clothes kid! Come with me, the King wants to speak with you!" the young guard shouted.  
  
Link shifted his eyes from the guard to Shia. "Well...ah...looks like I have to go now... Uh...tell Tifa I said hello... I guess I'll see you when I get back," he managed to say.  
  
Shia nodded, quickly hugged Link, then walked off towards her room. Link watched her as she left. After the guard yelled at him again, he shut his door behind him, and walked off to join the guard.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The King's throne room looked identical to when Link had saw it the other day. Everything to the very last detail was the same...except one thing. Cyrus was standing before the King, with a guard standing at attention a foot behind him.  
  
"Welcome, welcome!" bellowed the King when he saw Link.  
  
Cyrus turned sharply to see who had just entered. This action caused the guard behind him to kick Cyrus in the back.  
  
"No moving!" the guard shouted at Cyrus, who was on his hands and knees now, wincing in pain.  
  
"Link! Come forward!" said the King, pointing to where he wanted Link to stand.  
  
The guard beside Link pushed him forward a bit, forcing Link to walk.  
  
"Excellent! Yes, very good!" Godoro exclaimed when Link had stopped at his destination. "I'm sure you're wondering why you're here, am I correct?"  
  
Link nodded, saying nothing.  
  
"Well, as you know, I love sport. And me being a reasonable guy, I thought I'd make winning your horse back a little easier," the King stated.  
  
Link glanced over at Cyrus, wondering what he had to do with all of this. Cyrus himself was on his hands and knees still, breathing hard as he struggled to stay conscious. He appeared to have been beat half to death. Ripped clothing, bruises, and a black eye were evidence of this.  
  
"You see... Cyrus here is none other than Kain's son. You remember Kain, right? He's the reason you were captured in the first place," said the King.  
  
"That's a lie!" shouted Cyrus, looking up at the King with fire in his eyes.  
  
"Nonsense!" laughed the King, "We mistook Link for one of your father's crew members! If Kain weren't in existance, then Link probably wouldn't be here now!"  
  
Link could tell that Cyrus wanted to kill the king then and there. However, in Cyrus' case, that would be hard with four guards in the room, and not being able to stand up properly.  
  
"Yes, well, back to business. Now Link, I know you must be at least a little scared to fight Commander Bronzen in that little duel we have planned, so I'm giving you a second option," said Godoro.  
  
Link felt the King's words sink in. He knew what was coming. He didn't want to hear it...  
  
"I'll allow you to fight Cyrus in Bronzen's place. The terms stay the same as well. You win, you recieve your horse back and your items. You lose, I get your horse," boomed the King.  
  
Link's eyes met with Cyrus'. Link couldn't fight Cyrus...it wouldn't be right. Cyrus had an ill sister he had to take care of.   
  
"I...I can't fight him..." said Link, breaking eye contact with Cyrus.  
  
"Oh? And why not? Don't you want your horse back?"  
  
"Yes! I do! It's just... Cyrus hasn't done anything wrong to me. I have no reason for fighting him. I choose to fight Bronzen still.." responded Link.  
  
The King stared hard at Link. "I see...well, in truth it makes no difference to me. I guess Cyrus will just have to fight Commander Bronzen as well! Two duels in one day.... that would make an excellent show."  
  
Cyrus closed his eyes, and put his head down. Link looked between him and the King.  
  
"Wait, what? Cyrus...has to fight also?" questioned Link.  
  
"Well, yes. He is an enemy after all. He's bound to be put to death one way or another. He chose to participate in a duel rather than give the location of his father away. So yes, of course he has to," said the King, resting his head back against his chair. "You're dismissed. Guard's, put Link in his room and return Cyrus to the jailhouse."  
  
"Good," thought Link. "I'll help release Cyrus tonight."  
  
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JokersSpecter: There you go. Review please. I'll update within the next week or so. And since you've been such good readers, I'll give you a quick idea of upcoming chapters. Keep in mind though, that some of these things may be VERY far away.  
  
(In no particular order)  
  
1)Kain's forces fight the King's forces.  
  
2)Bronzen and Link's "duel"  
  
3)Adult Link.  
  
JokersSpecter@hotmail.com - E-mail me for whatever... Or add me to MSN Messanger if you wish to talk to me about anything.  
  
Review! 


	15. Stealing for a Disguise

Authors Note: Here's your next chapter.  
  
______________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Zelda.  
  
______________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Chapter 15  
  
Half of the day had come and gone. Inside his room, Link lay on his bed, keeping his eyes shut tight. He was trying his hardest to sleep, but he was having trouble. Every now and then, something would wind up bothering him.  
  
At first, it was the sun. Link quickly fixed that annoyance by covering up his window with the wardrobe in his room. After he was satisfied that no sun was breaking through, Link had attempted to sleep again in the darkness.  
  
Then, Link found he had trouble getting comfortable. He shifted around for about a half hour before getting in just the right position.  
  
Now...Link was having trouble putting his thoughts away. No matter what he did, he couldn't stop thinking about all he had experienced since yesterday. How much hate had he expressed since he left Termina?  
  
One person rose to the top of his list of people he now hated. The King of Keystone. There was no denying the fact that Link wanted the King to suffer. The King was nothing more than a man destined to die lonely...destined to die by someone he had wronged.  
  
Link thought about Cyrus. If the conditions had been different, and there were no guards in the room...would he have tried to merder the King?  
  
Link knew Cyrus would...if he ever got the chance. Then another thought came to Link's mind.  
  
"Would I have murdered the King if I had the chance?" he thought.  
  
The answer was clear and obvious. For the protection of others... Yes...Link would most likely kill the King of the opportunity arose. The taste of Link's cold, steel blade would be too good for the King... Link would make him suffer...  
  
The King cared about nobody but himself...  
  
Link silently vowed that if he ever had the chance...he would make the King suffer...even if it did lead to murder...  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Link soon found out he had ended up falling asleep after all. Next time he opened his eyes, he could no longer hear any sound in the rooms next to him, and there were no more noises in the hallway. A quick inspection behind the wardrobe told Link that night had finally come.  
  
The young hero was surprised. He had expected Tifa or Shia to come by sometime.  
  
Shrugging off the thought, Link moved the wardrobe out of the way as quietly as he could. After he had it placed in the proper area, Link opened the wardrobe and pulled out a rope.  
  
Link had swiped the rope from the kitchen earlier that day. The rope had been used as a way of transporting food throughout the kitchen on small carts.  
  
Throwing the rope over his shoulder, Link quickly exited his room through the window, making sure he had locked his door first. He moved into the shadows of the castle, moving silently, but as quickly as he could. Another ten minutes, and he'd be helping Cyrus break out.  
  
After stepping off of the grass, and on to the road, the green clad hero felt a lot closer to his goal. Just a few more minutes, and he'd be at the Jail.  
  
As soon as Link crossed the road and turned around the side of the first building, he noticed something wrong. Something very wrong that could very well stop him from freeing Cyrus and Crystal.  
  
Soldiers were patrolling the streets... Not just one or two soldiers, but nearly 3 seperate groups of 2 soldiers from what Link saw, were posted at a house, or a corner. Shocked, Link jumped back into the shadows as quickly as he could before they could see him.  
  
Why were soldiers there? Why now? They hadn't been there last night... Link didn't know what was going on.  
  
While Link was thinking, a strange event occured. Out of nowhere, a man walked street. No...not walked, wobbled is more like it. Link instantly recognized the signs that the man was drunk. In one hand, he had a bottle, and in his other hand, he was dragging a dark brown cloak.  
  
The soldier's nearest to the drunk man confronted him.  
  
"What are you doing out? Didn't you hear about the lockdown? There's the possibility of an attack tonight," said one of the soldiers sternly.  
  
The drunk man swayed back and forth for a moment, then looked up at the two soldiers, as if noticing them for the first time.  
  
"Whoa! Helloooo there shir. *Hic* Are you here to help me? I think I wush at a party...were you there too? *Hic*" the Drunk said, slurring his words.  
  
"Great...another drunk..." said the Soldier to his partner.  
  
"Are you my father? I thought *Hic* you looked familiar!" exclaimed the Drunk proudly. "Hey everyone! Look! My father!" said the Drunk to nobody in particular. He walked up and put his arm around the Soldier's neck.  
  
"C'mon! We gotsh some catchin' up to do!" slurred the Drunk.  
  
The Soldier grabbed the man, and shoved him towards his partner. "Send him on his way..." was all he said. The second soldier nodded and grabbed the man by his shoulders.  
  
"Eh? Father? Who'sh this? My *Hic* brother? You mean I have one? Oh joy!" said the Drunk, half smiling, half trying to finish off his liquor. The soldier holding him by his shoulders marched him in the direction of Link.  
  
Alarmed, Link stood as still as he could. He hoped the shadows would keep him hidden, even as close as they were to him now.  
  
"Now get out of here! I don't want to see your face again!" muttered the Soldier, pushing the drunk man at a house.  
  
The drunk swiveled around. "Brother! Thish ish your *Hic* houshe? I'll vishit you *Hic* right now!" he said. Then he walked up to the door, leaned up against it, and fell asleep.  
  
The soldier shook his head, and walked away. When the soldier reached his post, Link sprung into action. He moved quickly to where the Drunk was sleeping.  
  
"Sorry...but I think I'll need this more than you need it," said Link, taking the Drunk's cloak from him. The Drunk just continued sleeping.  
  
Link flung the cloak around him, covering up everything but his face. He made sure the rope was out of view as well. As soon as he was convinced everything was hidden, he walked calmly out in the open.  
  
It took a moment for the guards to notice Link. The first group of guards called to him, telling him to stop. Acting surprised, Link froze, and waited for the soldiers to approach him.  
  
"What are you doing out here? You should be at home," said the Lead Guard when they stopped in front of Link.  
  
Link tried to act as calm as possible. "Oh? Well, actually... That's just where I was going. My house is that way," the Hero said, pointing in the direction he was walking.  
  
The soldier nodded. "Move along then. Don't walk slowly," he stated, then walked back to his post with his partner.  
  
Link breathed a sigh of relief. His plan worked...at least, this time. As quickly as he could, he ran past the other groups of guards in this area. They just nodded at him as he passed, because they saw the first group of guards let him go freely.  
  
The Hero had a few more groups of guards to convince that he was going to his house. They let him go free as well, but not before warning him that he had better stay at his house.  
  
Finally Link came to the fountain. He looked down the road at the Jail, and groaned.  
  
The Jail was being heavily guarded as well.  
  
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JokersSpecter: Woohoo! 15 chapters!  
  
Now, I know that I've been known to neglect updates in the past, but I promise, as long as my computer works and I still have my fingers, I will update regularly. Just...don't...uh... Not review... Cause I really enjoy writing this story, as well as reading how much you guys like it.  
  
Now...I've been thinking of actually cutting this story in half, and making a sequel instead of finishing the whole storyline in just this story. Why? Cause sequel's are fun!  
  
Still...if I did that, then the title wouldn't make too much sense...  
  
And yes...the title does have a meaning. ^^  
  
JokersSpecter@hotmail.com - E-mail me for whatever... Or add me to MSN Messanger if you wish to talk to me about anything.  
  
Review! 


	16. Breaking Through

Authors Note: Here's your next chapter.  
  
______________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Zelda.  
  
______________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Chapter 16  
  
Link quickly ditched his disguise. There was no way it would get him into the Jail, and it would only slow him down if he kept it. He discarded it in the fountain, and quietly headed for the shadows, hoping that the three guards at the Jail didn't notice him. From the looks of it, two of the three guards were asleep. The other was standing up, and leaning against a spear he was holding. The armor was obviously heavy for the guards, so Link knew he'd have an advantage if it came to a battle.  
  
Quietly, Link repeated the process of getting up on the wall from the previous night. Once he was up on the wall, and sure he had his balance, he silently moved along the wall, and headed for the barred window. He layed down and peeked in, barely exposing his head in the window. He had to make sure it was safe.  
  
The first thing Link saw, was Crystal laying on the bed in her cell, sleeping peacefully. He couldn't see Cyrus' cell through the window in his current position, so he didn't know if Cyrus was there. Carefully, he adjusted his head, so he could see the corner of the Jail, into Cyrus' cell.  
  
In his cell, slumped against the wall, badly beaten, was Cyrus. A quick look around the Jail told Link that there were no guards on the inside.  
  
"Cyrus!" Link whispered.  
  
Cyrus' head jerked a little. He looked around slightly, then rested his head back again, as if he had been hearing things.  
  
Link tried again. "Cyrus!"  
  
This time Cyrus turned his head to look at the window. As soon as he saw Link, his eyes widened.  
  
"Link!" he exclaimed. Quickly, he stood up. He walked forward a little, stumbled, and fell down, catching himself barely with his hands.  
  
"Oh god...my legs... They hurt so bad...." he said, getting into a sitting position. Link looked closely at his legs. From what he saw, his pant legs were stained with a dark color. Most likely blood..  
  
"Don't worry... I'm going to help you out," exclaimed the Young Hero.  
  
Cyrus shook his head. "No, get Crystal out first. It's more important that she gets medical help."  
  
"Alright... I'll get her out first...but if you ask me, I think you both need medical help," said Link quietly.  
  
"Heh, that's true... Let's hope for the best... I'll wake up my sister, you start getting the rope secure."  
  
"Okay, I'll only be a minute. Wake her fast," said Link. He started to stand up on the wall.  
  
"Um, wait...Link?"  
  
Link kneeled back down. "Yeah?"  
  
Cyrus shook his head slowly. "I think you may have to climb down...and carry her out... She's weak from her sickness... I doubt she can get up herself."  
  
"I see... Okay, well... I'll try. We'll have to be really quiet about this though..."  
  
"Right. Okay, go tie the rope."  
  
Link nodded, then stood up again. He searched for a good spot to tie the rope. The only things he saw on the roof were bird nests. Other than that, there was nothing. The hero sat there for a moment, wondering where the best place would be to tie the rope. There was nothing secure enough.  
  
Suddenly Link realized what he had missed. The bars on the window...those would hold. Link mentally hit himself for not remembering about the bars. Those would be the best thing. Perfect for what he was looking for.  
  
Quickly, the hero tied a decent knot around the bars. He pulled on it a few times to test it. If anything went wrong with the rope...then the whole plan would fail.  
  
As soon as Link was sure the rope was tight, he bent down and told Cyrus he was ready.  
  
"Okay, good. Crystal? You've got to stand in the corner, out of the way. Link's going to collapse the roof in," said Cyrus.  
  
Crystal, who was standing up, slightly wavering back and forth, nodded in agreement. She walked over and stood in the corner farthest away from the window.  
  
"Okay Link. Just stand on the edge, and smash it in with your foot. If what I've heard is correct, it should collapse after four or five hard hits."  
  
"Okay... What if the guards hear me?"  
  
Cyrus was silent for a moment. He looked up at Link, "I doubt they'll do anything."  
  
"Hopefully..." said Link as he stood up. The Hero nimbly climbed over the ledge of the building, and stood on the roof, with the rope wrapped around his arm. Holding on to the ledge with his hands, the Hero brought his foot up.  
  
He held his breath, and said a silent prayer...hoping that the guards wouldn't hear him breaking into the Jail.  
  
Once he decided he'd waiting long enough. He held his breath, and brought his heel down onto the roof as hard as he could.  
  
The sound echoed throughout the night. It wasn't a loud sound, but it was definately noticeable. Link sat quiet, hoping that the guards would ignore it.  
  
A minute later, Link decided it was safe to move. He looked down to see what kind of damage he had done to the building. All he saw was a small crack...nothing more.  
  
Link tried again. This time, he used both his feet and his body wait. He only hoped his hands didn't slip. If he broke through, and they slipped...then he'd be in the cell, probably suffering from a lot of pain from the fall...  
  
The sound echoed again, louder this time. Link thought for sure the guards would check it out. He sat quietly, listening for any sounds from the guards.  
  
Amazingly...there were none...  
  
Link scratched his head. Something was wrong... He had made quite a bit of noise, yet the guards hadn't noticed.  
  
"Link!" called Cyrus from the Jail.  
  
Link leaned over the side of the building and stuck his head by the window.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"You've got to hurry up! Crystal passes out too often, and I think you'll want her awake..." said Cyrus, pointing over to Crystal. Link couldn't see him pointing at her, but he was looking at her anyway. Crystal was leaning up against the bars of the cell, obviously fighting hard to stay awake.  
  
"Hurry Link...please..." pleaded Cyrus.  
  
"I'm trying... I don't want to make too much noise though."  
  
"Link, don't worry about the noise. I've planned that out ahead of time... You're safe with making as much noise as you need to."  
  
The Hero decided to ask questions later, and act now. He lifted himself back into position, and brought his two feet down.  
  
Checking his progress, Link found that he had managed to make the roof sink in a little bit, as well as create more crevices. A few more attempts, and Link could bust through. The Young Hero put all his force into the next one. He nearly breaking his legs, and slipping on his hands doing so, but it was all worth it to hear and feel the sound of the roof collapse beneath his feet.  
  
Holding his breath, Link pulled himself up onto the ledge. When he was up, he looked down into the hole he had created. Satisfied that it was wide enough, he dropped down the end of the rope for Crystal to climb up.  
  
_______________________________________________________________________________________  
  
JokersSpecter: I'll explain why the guards ignored the sound in the next chapter.. just in case you wanted to know.  
  
JokersSpecter@hotmail.com - E-mail me for whatever... Or add me to MSN Messenger if you wish to talk to me about anything.  
  
Review! 


	17. Release

Authors Note: Here's your next chapter.  
  
______________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Zelda.  
  
______________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Chapter 17  
  
Moonlight shone down into the hole Link had created, illuminating a small area of the cell. Very carefully, Link decended the rope, hoping the knot he tied would hold.  
  
"Alright! Good job, LinK!" said Cyrus when Link's feet touched the ground.   
  
In the corner of her cell, Crystal wavered a little bit, then stumbled forward awkwardly. Link jumped forward, catching her in his arms.  
  
"Just hold on," said Link, standing her up. Crystal nodded slightly, trying to keep her eyes open.  
  
Cyrus stood up, bracing himself with the bars of his cell. "Okay, now you need to get her out of here," said the brunette.   
  
Link nodded, then looked back to Crystal. "Listen, I need you to stay awake. You have to hold on to me while I climb. I won't be able to climb up and hold on to you at the same time," said the young hero, looking Crystal in the eyes.  
  
"I'll try," whispered Crystal, rubbing her eyes with her hands. "Sorry, I just don't feel good..."  
  
"He knows... That's why he's helping us, so I can get you some help," said Cyrus from his cell.  
  
Nodding, Link turned around and grabbed the thick rope. "Okay, hang on to my back."  
  
Crystal put her arms around Link's neck, and locked her hands together. Once Link was sure she was secure, Link tugged the rope a little bit, testing it's hold. After another tug, Link started his ascend up the rope. Foot by foot he pulled Crystal and himself up, with Cyrus watching closely.  
  
"Almost...there..." said Link between breaths. Two more pulls at arm length, and Link was able to grab onto the edge of the hole with one hand. He pulled with both hands, until he was able to grab the edge of the roof. With one final pull, he broke free of the hole, with Crystal holding on to him tightly.   
  
"Okay..." said Link, breathing hard. "You can rest for a bit now... I've got to go talk to your brother."  
  
Crystal let go of Link and slumped down in the corner of the roof.  
  
Wiping the sweat off his forhead, Link stepped down off the roof, and onto the wall. He crouched down next to the window nearest to Cyrus' cell.  
  
"Alright, she's resting now," said Link.  
  
Cyrus nodded. "Good, now you're going to have to make another hole above my cell, and then throw the rope down. I'll be able to climb out myself."  
  
"Okay... I just have one question..."  
  
"Make it fast...we've got to get out of here before morning."  
  
"Yeah, I understand. What I wanted to know, is why the guards haven't investigated the sounds I'm making. There's no doubt that they've heard it..." said Link, rubbing the back of his head.  
  
"Ah, yeah. Well, ever since they took you out of here, I knew there was a chance, even a small one, that you'd be back to get us out. So I had to think of the best way to help you... I decided that if you did manage to get out here and help us, you'd end up making noises to bust through the roof... So I started to make noises myself. Throwing rocks around, banging my chair against the bars, stuff like that," said Cyrus, smiling his crooke smile.  
  
"So," said Cyrus, continuing, "they don't check it out, because they think it's me banging around inside the cell."  
  
"Wow...that's brilliant!" exclaimed Link.  
  
Cyrus shook his head. "Not unless we get out of here safely. I suggest we hurry."  
  
"Right, I'll get right on it," Link said, jumping up onto the roof. Carefully, he repeated the same actions as he had before to create the hole above Crystal's cell. Eventually, he had create a gaping hole, wide enough for Cyrus to fit through.   
  
Cyrus appeared in view, crawling. "Get the rope," he said quickly.  
  
As fast as he could, Link went back to the other hole, and pulled up the rope. Once he had it coiled around his arm, he jumped back down onto the wall, and untied the rope from the window.  
  
Once the rope was free, Link walked carefully along the wall to the other window nearest to Cyrus' cell. After Link tied the rope, he tested the knot.  
  
"Is it tied good?" asked Cyrus, observing Link work.  
  
"Yeah, it should hold. Alright, I'm gonna throw down the rope now," said Link, pulling himself up on the roof, and then tossing the rope down the hole. As soon as the rope touched the stone floor, Cyrus grabbed it, and immediately started to pull himself up. His legs dragged along the hard floor, creating obvious pain for Cyrus, as he reflected the pain in his face.  
  
Soon enough, his legs were dangling in the air as he pulled himself up higher. Slowly, he inched up the rope. After a minute, he was within range for Link to grab his hand and help him up.  
  
"Here," said Link, extending his hand down into the hole. Quickly, Cyrus grabbed it, locking his hand around Link's wrist, and Link doing the same to Cyrus'.  
  
It took all of Link's strength to pull up the older boy, but Link managed to get him out of the hole. Once he was out, Link let go of Cyrus' hand and sat down on the ground to rest.  
  
Breathing hard, Cyrus looked up at Link. "Well," he said, pausing to take a breath," so far so good."  
  
"Yeah..." replied Link.  
  
Cyrus looked over at Crystal. "Is she awake?" he questioned.   
  
"I don't know...she seemed exhausted."  
  
Cyrus nodded, propping himself up on his elbows. "I've got to get her out of here. She's in worse condition than when we left home."  
  
Link stood up and rubbed his arm. "Well, I guess we'd better get going then..."  
  
Agreeing, Cyrus grabbed onto the side of the roof, and swung himself over it, dragging his legs off of the roof, and onto the wall.  
  
"I should be able to hold myself up like this for awhile," he said, putting his body weight on his hands, which were gripping onto the edge of the roof. His feet touched the wall, but they were barely supporting any weight at all.  
  
"This will at least work until I can find a staff or something to help support my weight."  
  
Nodding, Link turned around and headed towards Crystal.  
  
Stopping by her, he bent down and shook her a little. When she opened her eyes slightly, Link spoke to her. "I need you to hold on to my back again. I'm going to get you outside of the town, so you and your brother can get some help."  
  
Crystal smiled slightly, then shut her eyes again. A few seconds later, her breathing slowed until Link knew she was asleep again. The blonde tried to wake her up, but she just moaned a little.  
  
"Fine..." sighed Link. "I can manage. If sleep is what you need, then you should sleep..." he said. Carefully, he stooped down and picked her up. She wasn't too heavy, due to lack of food, but Link would still have problems carrying her. The hero rested her over his shoulder, supporting her with one hand. Very slowly, so he wouldn't lose his balance and drop her over the side of the building, Link walked back to Cyrus.  
  
"Okay," said Link. "We're ready to go."  
  
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JokersSpecter: Mmmkay. I think it's about time I answered a few questions that I've been...eh...ignoring. Sorry for the "late" answers for some of these.  
  
-  
  
Q: How old is Link?   
  
A: He's about 12 right now in the fic.  
  
-  
  
Q: Didn't you think Navi was annoying? (shortened from original question)  
  
A: Yes, extremely. However, don't we all have a good friend who's annoying?  
  
-  
  
Q: Did you get the name "Tifa" from FF7?  
  
A: Yes... *glances around* Um...I'm horrible at making up names... I think... Anywho, it seemed like a good name for an outgoing girl and such...  
  
-  
  
Q: Is Link going to actually fight in his duel, even if he gets Cyrus out?  
  
A: Absolutely. He wants to get Epona and his equipment back, and dueling is the only way (so far...)  
  
-  
  
Hmmm, well, there you go... I'm off to sleep now...  
  
JokersSpecter@hotmail.com - E-mail me for whatever... Or add me to MSN Messenger if you wish to talk to me about anything.  
  
Review! 


	18. Almost Out

Authors Note: Here's your next chapter.  
  
______________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Zelda.  
  
______________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Chapter 18  
  
"So how are we going to do this?" asked Link, looking down on the injured Cyrus.  
  
"I figured we'd just go ahead and jump down the other side of the wall, head to the forest, and use that as cover while we traveled back to the camp we have set up," said Cyrus, looking at the forest. For a moment, his eyes seemed lost in the darkness between the trees. Finally, he sighed, and said, "That was before the guards had mangled my legs..."  
  
Cyrus glanced up at Link, the his eyes moved to his sister's face. Her eyes were closed, and her light brunette hair dangled over here face.  
  
"Link...if we can't think of a way to get me out of here...would you do me the favor of getting Crystal back to the camp?" asked Cyrus, his eyes falling to look at his useless legs again.  
  
Link looked down at the bloody legs as well. "Yes...of course I will... I'm not sure why, but I feel I owe it to you..." said the hero quietly.  
  
Cyrus smiled, "If you think about it...we're both on the same side here...just different motives. I feel I owe you a lot as well... Let's not go too deep into that right now though... I think we should get Crystal some help, that's our first priority."  
  
Suddenly, and idea struck Link. "Wait...I know what we can do! I know a way to the fairy shrine!" exclaimed the young hero.  
  
Cyrus almost fell off the roof when he heard Link say that. "W-What?! You know where the fairy shrine is?!" questioned Cyrus, his eyes bulging and his mouth hanging open.  
  
"Yeah...I was there last night. If we get you there, we can heal you and Crystal...then you shouldn't have any problem getting back to your camp," stated Link. He laid Crystal down on the roof so he could rest his shoulder and arm.  
  
"Link...do you realize how long we've been looking for the shrine? God...it feels like ages... If you could give us the location of it...you could help us cure hundreds from sickness..." said Cyrus, reaching over to brush the hair from his sister's eyes.  
  
Link thought for a moment before he responded. "Yeah...that would be worth it to show you where it is... However, I was thinking of a quicker way to the shrine..." said the blonde.  
  
"A quicker way?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It took a lot of energy, but Link had managed to help both Cyrus and Crystal off the roof, onto the wall, and then down into the alleyway. Link was leading them to the fountain. The only problem, were the guards...  
  
"There's so many..." said Link, looking carefully around the corner of the alley. He saw the three guards by the jail, as well as another group patrolling the streets.  
  
"We need a miracle," said Cyrus, crawling along the ground and looking around the corner. He slightly flinched at the pain of his legs dragging along the ground. "Any ideas why they're all out patrolling right now?"  
  
Link nodded. "Yeah...one of them said that there might be an attack tonight, so they're on full alert."  
  
"Heh...if sleeping is on full alert," said Cyrus, pointing to the two guards near the jail who were napping, "then these guys are gonna have problems."  
  
Turning his head to look at Cyrus, Link asked, "Do you think it's your dad that's going to attack?"  
  
Cyrus was silent for a moment. "Maybe... He's nbever made a direct attack on the town before, so if it is him, my bet is that his motive is to free us."  
  
"Ah...well we better hurry and get you healed then... We don't want unnecassary bloodshed."  
  
"Yeah. Hey, how'd you get from the fountain to here without them hearing you or seeing you?"  
  
Rubbing the back of his neck, Link said, "Well...I walked...quietly..." The hero glanced down at Cyrus' broken up legs, then moved his eyes to Crystal, who was sleeping peacefully on the ground.  
  
"Oh...I guess that won't work... Even if I crawl, I'll make a lot of noise..." stated Cyrus sadly.  
  
"Yup...looks like we need to think of something else...fast... I can't get caught outside of my room, or I'll never get Epona back."  
  
Off in the distance, a horn sounded loudly. The guards near the jail quickly woke up. After looking at eachother for a minute with surprised faces, the guards quickly headed off in the direction of the front gate, followed closely by the guards who were patrolling the area.  
  
"Well, looks like we've got a way to get to the fountain now," exclaimed Link, grinning.  
  
"Yeah, looks like it... Grab Crystal, let's go. If we're fast enough, maybe we can get back from the shrine and help my father."  
  
"If it even is your father," reminded Link.  
  
"Err...yeah...if...even though they only blow the horn like that when "Kain Scum" is around."  
  
"Oh... Okay, I see your point... Let's get going, we have no time to waste."  
  
As fast as he could, Link hoisted Crystal up on his shoulder, then ran off in the direction of the fountain. Cyrus had already started to drag himself to the fountain, leaving a thin trail of blood in his wake. His legs had stopped bleeding as much as before, either giving proof that the wounds were closing up, or his pants were soaking up more blood.  
  
Either way, Cyrus was getting weaker every time Link saw him.  
  
When Link reached the fountain, he carefully laid Crystal down on the ground. Once he was sure she was okay, the blonde ran back to help Cyrus.  
  
"Just grab my hands and pull...don't worry about my legs, they're bound to end up hurt more anyway," said the injured teen, propping his arms up so Link could grab them.  
  
Link took Cyrus' wrists in his hands, but hesitated. After a moments pause, he shrugged slightly and pulled Cyrus the rest of the way to the fountain. Cyrus locked his face with a blank look, so Link wouldn't see the pain he was enduring.  
  
"Good..." said Cyrus between his teeth. "Now how do we get it to work?" Cyrus looked up at the glistening white fountain.  
  
Link fixed his eyes on the fountain. "I'm not entirely sure... I guess you just jump in, and it'll work."  
  
"Okay... Jump then. You may as well make sure it works," Cyrus said, crawling over to his sister.  
  
"Taking a step back, Link nodded. After a moment of staring at the fountain, Link took a running leap and smacked his face on the white marble of the fountain.  
  
Moaning in pain, Link stepped out of the fountain, and looked down at Cyrus with a pained expression. He checked to make sure all of his teeth were still in his mouth.  
  
"Hmm...mus' be a one-way fountain, huh?" asked Cyrus, raising an eyebrow.  
  
Link nodded, checking his nose.  
  
On the street near them, about a half-dozen knights rode by. Link quickly ducked behind the fountain. Cyrus lay as still as he could.  
  
Down the road that the armor-clad knights had just come from, two other knights appeared, riding up the road."I believe," Link said, "I just found a way to get you out of here..." The hero smiled slightly, despite the pain it caused him.  
  
_______________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Joker: Hmm...better than I planned on...just a little though. Oh, hey, I started to make a comic again, at www.darkmonkey.com. Go ahead and check it out if you like Golden Sun.  
  
JokersSpecter@hotmail.com - E-mail me for whatever... Or add me to MSN Messenger if you wish to talk to me about anything.  
  
Review! 


	19. Running Away

Authors Note: Here's your next chapter.  
  
______________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Zelda.  
  
______________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Chapter 19  
  
"Link! What are you doing?!" whispered Cyrus. Link had moved from his hiding place behind the fountain, right out into open view. He was in clear sight of the knights who were galloping up the road.  
  
Link waved his hand to Cyrus, motioning for him to be silent. Slowly, the young hero continued walking out into the road. When he was in the center of the stoney-road, he started to wave his hands wildly, calling to the knights to stop.  
  
Slowing their horses down to a trot, the two knights looked at each other. They stopped a few feet from Link.  
  
"Move boy!" shouted one of the armored men. "We've no time to waste with you!"  
  
Link forced a look of worry onto his face. "Please, I need one of you to help! I've subdued an enemy, but only after he hurt my sister!" he lied.  
  
The knights quickly looked at each other again. Link couldn't see their expressions because of their helmets, but he knew his lie had caused them to think twice about telling him to move again.  
  
"Where?" asked the other knight.  
  
Link pointed to the fountain. "Just over there...but only one of you is needed. He's very weak...I managed to bring him down while his back was turned."  
  
The knights both looked at the fountain. The only thing that could be seen in the dim moonlight was a foot poking out from behind it.  
  
"Alright. I'll come and take him to the jail. You will have to help your sister yourself," said a knight. He nodded to his friend, and told him to go on ahead.  
  
The knight followed Link as the blonde hero led the way. When they had reached the fountain, Link motioned to Cyrus, mouthing to him to stay still.  
  
"Is that him?" questioned the knight, pointing to Cyrus. Cyrus was lying still with his eyes closed.  
  
"Yes...and that's my sister," said Link, pointing to the unconscious Crystal. The shadow of the fountain concealed her enough that the knight didn't notice that she looked nothing like someone related to Link.  
  
"Okay..." said the knight as he dismounted his horse. "You get out of here with her."  
  
Link nodded, and then bent down to pretend he was picking Crystal up. The knight walked past Link, crouching down to pick up Cyrus.  
  
"Now you're sure he's unconscious?" asked the knight. As he waited for a reply, he was suddenly pushed forward. Link had moved behind the knight, and shoved him, which took all of his strength just to do so. The surprised knight hadn't expected to be pushed, so he wasn't able to stop himself from sumbling forward, the weight of his armor only increasing his problem.  
  
The knight's foot hit the side of the fountain, sending him hurling over the edge and colliding into the marble centerpiece. Chunks of marble chipped off as the knight's helmet smacked into the centerpiece. The final thing that happened was the knight landing face-down into the water.  
  
The knight struggled to raise himself up, but the weight of his armor kept him down.  
  
"Okay, c'mon!" shouted Link. Cyrus' eyes shot open.  
  
"Alright! Great job!" Cyrus said after he surveyed the scene.  
  
"There's no time, he could get out of there any moment! Get to the horse, I'll grab Crystal!" exclaimed Link.  
  
Cyrus nodded and crawled to the horse as fast as he could. Link picked up Crystal and placed the brunette girl on the horse in front of the saddle.  
  
Next, Link helped Cyrus climb onto the saddle. He had trouble, but he managed to get him on.  
  
"Now go!" shouted Link.  
  
Cyrus raised his eyebrows. "What?"  
  
Link looked back at the knight. "I've got to get back to the castle...you two are going to have to go by yourself from here on out..." he said. The knight had managed to get an arm over the side, and was attempting to pull himself up. The knock to the knight's head seemed to have dazed him somewhat.  
  
Silence passed for a moment. Cyrus just stared down at Link, while Link looked from Cyrus to the knight constantly.  
  
"Well...I guess this is good-bye then..." said Cyrus. "I was kind of hoping I could pay you back for all you've done...but it seems like that won't be the case."  
  
Link nodded. "Just get you and your sister some help...those legs look pretty bad...and she doesn't look at all like she can take much more..." he said.  
  
Smiling, Cyrus said, "I will...don't worry about that. You take care of yourself...and hopefully we'll be able to meet again, under better circumstances..."  
  
Cyrus made sure Crystal was secure, then shouted "Hyah!", and rode off with his sister towards the gate.  
  
Link quickly ran away in the direction of the castle, just as the knight pulled himself out of the fountain.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
As fast as he could, Link ran through the town. Constantly, he would have to hide in the shadows as guards or knights ran past. Link only hoped that the gates would be open, so Cyrus could ride out.  
  
Link had almost made it to the castle, when he turned the corner of the building and collided with a suit of armor. The armor was black, so Link couldn't see it very well. Sitting up and rubbing his cheek, Link looked up and saw who it was he ran into.  
  
"What have we here?" asked the figure of Commander Bronzen. "Link...in town?"  
  
Link's eyes widened. Bronzen smiled.  
  
"Well, Link...if you want...we could engage in our duel a little early."  
  
Bronzen unsheated his sword. "Or, I could leave you to the 'mercy' of the King. Although, I doubt he'll be pleased in finding out you've been running around at night."  
  
Slowly, Link stood up, glaring at the Commander.   
  
"Tifa told me you aren't all that bad..." said Bronzen, swinging his blade around. "I was a little disappointed that she had ran off and talked to you without permission... It seems that you have the same attitude...running off without permission."  
  
Link looked around for some sort of escape. Bronzen smiled again.  
  
"Don't think you'll be getting away...you're merely a child in a place you know nothing about," he said.  
  
Deciding he'd put his speed to use, Link jumped to the side and ran past Bronzen towards the castle. The Commander just turned his head and watched Link as he ran.  
  
"Yes...running without permission...same attitude," said Bronzen quietly. After a moment, he laughed, then continued walking in the direction of the front gates.  
  
_______________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Joker: Ah, thank you very much for those of you who told me my mistake in posting the last chapter (I put up chapter 17 for chapter 18 )  
  
I hope it won't happen again... Now I'm off to sleep.  
  
JokersSpecter@hotmail.com - E-mail me for whatever... Or add me to MSN Messenger if you wish to talk to me about anything.  
  
Review! 


	20. A Tight Embrace

Authors Note: Here's your next chapter.  
  
______________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Zelda.  
  
______________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Chapter 20  
  
Morning came swiftly to the town of Keystone. News quickly spread through the castle about the short battle that had ocurred the night before. Apparently the opposing force, who had in fact been Kain's men, all retreated before they reached the castle walls.  
  
Most of the soldiers claim two people riding on a horse had galloped out to meet the army, then left with them.  
  
Smilling to himself as he hear the news through the walls of his room, Link closed his eyes and returned to sleep, trying to forget his quest-endangering encounter with Commander Bronzen.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Hunger struck Link as he awakened in the afternoon. The hero wasn't one to sleep that late, but he found out he was a little more exhausted than he originally thought. Not to mention him spending a good portion of the previous night helping out a friend.  
  
Groaning slightly, Link pulled himself out of bed and traveled to his door. The first thing he wanted to do was eat.  
  
Yawning, and then stretching, Link ran his hands through his hair and opened his bedroom door. Half expecting to see Shia or Tifa somewhere in the hallway, Link exited his room and ventured towards the kitchen.  
  
It wasn't too long before he found himself digging into a large amount of food. He was so occupied with eating, that Link didn't realize someone had snuck up behind him.  
  
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" screamed somebody from behind him.  
  
Choking on his food, Link quickly turned around and jumped out of his seat, ready for action. What he found, was Tifa.  
  
The blonde-haired girl's eyes were narrowed, and she was tapping her foot. Link relaxed his arms, but then decided not to relax too much once he saw how angry Tifa was.  
  
"Wha...?" asked Link, not quite understanding what was going on.  
  
"I asked what the hell is wrong with you, and I'd like a straight answer," replied the girl, pushing Link back down onto his seat. Confused, Link just watched as Tifa sat down next to him.   
  
"I'm...not sure I understand..." muttered Link after he swallowed the remaining food in his mouth.  
  
Tifa narrowed her eyes even more. "WHY did you help those prisoners escape?!" she shouted.  
  
A slow realization dawned on Link. "Oh..." was all he managed to say.  
  
"Don't just say 'Oh'! My father comes home, and starts hinting that it was you who released the prisoners. I naturally figured it was you, so I just nodded along and kept my mouth shut. So, now I want an explanation," spat Tifa, moving around in her seat every now and then as if she was going to jump on Link and fight him.  
  
"Well, to tell the truth...they didn't belong there. That girl that I helped out, she was ill, and the king wasn't doing anything to help," explained Link. "So I helped out how I could...it was the right thing to do."  
  
"Oh don't give me this 'Right thing to do' crap! You did it out of spite, didn't yoU?!" shouted Tifa.  
  
"Spite? Spite from what?" inquired Link, getting angry himself.  
  
"Well...for me leaving you..." muttered Tifa, slightly blushing. "It's obvious...that's why you did it..."  
  
Link stared blankly at Tifa, who continued speaking.  
  
"I am sorry I left you there...but...I have my reasons... I don't know why I suddenly did right then and there, instead of before we left...but, well...I was confused."  
  
Attempting to speak, Link searched for the right words to say. "Well...I..."  
  
Tifa seemed to be oblivious to Link's voice. "It's just that...well...I kind of felt like I had feelings for you. Not silly girlish ones...real ones, you know?"  
  
Before Tifa could say anything else, Link put his hand over her mouth. The act surprised her, causing her to stop her rambling.  
  
"Listen...I didn't do it because of you...and I kind of assumed you had feelings for me the entire time anyway, since you were forcing me to be your 'boyfriend'..." stated the hero, looking Tifa in the eyes. "I did it because there was a girl that was deathly ill, and her brother who could do nothing to save her. It's what I do...I save people..." Link added, removing his hand and standing up.  
  
"So...did your father inform the king?" asked Link. The blonde walked over to the food pantry in search of some apples.  
  
"No..." came the quiet reply of Tifa. "He didn't feel the need...he said you were trapped enough as it was..."  
  
Grabbing an apple, Link thought about his current situation.   
  
Yes, being forced to fight in a duel with a significantly larger, stronger, and possibly smarter man, only to win back one of his best friends, did seem much like a trap to him.  
  
"Yeah...he's right about that..." muttered Link, biting into his apple.  
  
Link walked out of the kitchen, leaving Tifa alone, and ran back to his room. He didn't want to be with anybody who possibly loved him. He had enough problems...  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Upon reaching his room, Link was a little surprised to see the door wide open. Peeking in, he saw nobody...just the darkness that shrouded his temporary prison.   
  
After standing in the doorway for awhile, Link came to the conclusion that Tifa must have checked Link's bedroom before she had searched for him at the kitchen, and forgot to shut his door. Shrugging, Link stepped inside and slammed the door shut.  
  
That's when Link realized somebody was standing behind his door. Before he could see who it was, Link was pulled into the corner of the room by the anonymous figure. The hero soon found himself in an embrace.  
  
"Sh-Shia?" stuttered Link when his eyes adjusted and saw blue hair on the figure's head.  
  
"Yeah?" came the quiet reply of Shia.  
  
Link shifted uncomfortably. "What's the hug for?" he asked after a few seconds.  
  
"Because you're so sweet..."  
  
"Oh...okay then..."  
  
Link didn't know what she meant, but he decided he'd ask questions later.  
  
"Oh! Sorry, I didn't really want to make you uncomfortable!" exclaimed Shia, backing away.  
  
Rubbing the back of his head, Link said, "Well, that's okay...you just surprised me is all."  
  
Shia smiled brightly. "I just wanted to thank you for saving those two prisoners... I know one of them was really sick...and I desperately wanted to help, but I couldn't..."  
  
"Err...how'd you know it was me?" asked Link, walking over to his bed and sitting on it. He realized how stupid his question was, since he had originally assumed Tifa had informed her. They were best friends after all...  
  
"Tifa told me about it this morning. I wanted to come in earlier, but I figured you'd need some sleep for the big day tomorrow."  
  
"Tomorrow?" asked Link, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Yeah...you fight Tifa's dad tomorrow...remember?" said Shia sadly.  
  
Link remembered perfectly. It was the whole reason he was still in Keystone...because of his schedule duel with the commander.  
  
"I see...yes...I suppose I could use some sleep..." said Link quietly. He suddenly became aware that he was still tired, and unintentionally made it known by yawning.  
  
"I'll leave you alone for now, just so you can get a lot of rest," Shia stated, stepping out the door. "Before I go...was there anything you wanted me to get you? A drink, blanket...anything?" she asked eagerly.  
  
"No, no...that's fine... Thanks anyway. I'll be fine," replied the blonde hero as he situated himself in bed.  
  
Shia smiled. "Okay then...um...sleep well," she said quickly, then shut the door.  
  
_______________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Joker: Bleh, sorry...this may have been confusing...and I KNOW it was short, but it's really late here, and I'm exhausted...  
  
Anyways, I'm currently trying to come up with a new story for the Zelda category, so expect one in the near future. If you don't like Zelda, and you don't want me to write a Zelda fic...I have one question for you... Why are you reading a Zelda fic right now?  
  
Nyah! ...Sorry, I don't think there even would be anyone who hates Zelda that would read a Zelda fic. Whatever...I'll update in at least a couple of days. It sorta depends on the reviews... (sad to say...)  
  
www.darkmonkey.com  
  
JokersSpecter@hotmail.com - E-mail me for whatever... Or add me to MSN Messenger if you wish to talk to me about anything.  
  
Review! 


	21. Lonely

Authors Note: Here's your next chapter.  
  
______________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Zelda.  
  
______________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Chapter 21  
  
"So did ya hear 'bout the fight tomorrow?"  
  
"Which one?"  
  
"Bronzen versus that kid."  
  
"Yeah...I also heard about the one with that traitor versus somebody else."  
  
Two guards had started speaking outside Link's bedroom door as they walked past. While their voices slowly faded into the distance, Link couldn't help but listen to what they were saying.  
  
He could only assume that they were talking about the traitor that was in the jail a few days ago. What puzzled Link was that this was the first he had heard anything about the man since then, and now he learned that the traitor would fight at the colluseum the same day as himself.  
  
Link wondered who the traitor would be fighting.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
As night quickly ascended, Link found himself unable to sleep. Visions flashed through his head; Epona, Bronzen, Tifa, Shia, Navia, the King, Cyrus, Crystal, and the Fairy Savior all went through his mind at least once.  
  
There was no doubt that Link had a lot on his mind, but he still tried his hardest to sleep.  
  
Nothing worked.  
  
Sighing, Link jumped out of bed and began pacing around his bedroom. Of all the times to lose sleep, this had to be the worst of them all. Energy was a necessity for a battle.  
  
Link only wished he could take a potion or two with him into the duel...he would no doubt have to heal himself at one point during the duel.  
  
Link only could hope he'd get to see Bronzen's battle tactics before hand, so he would know a little of what to expect.  
  
Half an hour of pacing and reflecting on the situation at hand, Link finally gave up walking back and forth, and jumped back in bed, determined to at least rest his eyes and limbs.  
  
Hours later, the young hero finally drifted into a soft, but sound sleep.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Mornin' kid...time to get up," boomed a voice from the other side of Link's door. Moments after speaking, the person knocked on the door, and said, "Hurry up...you've got five minutes to get whatever you need." Link's eyes shot open. He quickly sat up and spun his legs over the side of his bed.  
  
Today was the day... The day that he would win Epona back.  
  
Nothing could stand in his way. Link would make sure of it.  
  
Link didn't know if he even had anything in the room that he'd want to get. Everything that could have been of use to him was being held by the King.  
  
Sighing, Link walked over to the door and opened it. Outside were two guards, both dressed in heavy armor.  
  
"We need to hurry. After the recent attack on the city, the King wants us to be better suited for battle, and stay at our post in his throne room. He wants the two of us back there as soon as possible, so no going slowly," commanded the guard who was the tallest of the two.  
  
Nodding, Link shut his door behind him and walked between the two guards out of the hallway, out of the castle, and towards the colluseum at the other end of the city.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The closer Link came to being near the colluseum, the more he could hear the people from the city piling around the arena.  
  
"How many people are going to be watching?" asked Link, looking up at the guards.  
  
"Everyone. It's a law that you attend these kinds of events," said one of the guards. "it's free to enter...but you have to pay little a little to get good seats.  
  
When they turned around a corner, Link's eyes bulged.  
  
He knew that Keystone was a large city, but he never realized just how many people lived there.  
  
Hundreds upon hundreds of people were crowding around the entrance to the colluseum. They were all crowded to either side of the gate, leadving a small aisle down the middle of them that led to the entrance. Every now and then, a small child would run out into the aisle, only to get pulled back by his mother or father.  
  
"It's tradition that the competitors walk down that aisle before they ever led anybody in...sorta lets them see who's going to be fighting up close," explained the guard to Link's right.  
  
"Yeah...and you might want to shut your eyes. People try to injure the challengers before the fight, usually throwing sand or alcohol into their eyes," said the guard on Link's left.  
  
"Just stay between us and you'll get through fine," added the other.  
  
Link muttered a small "Thank you," and pulled his green hat down over his eyes.  
  
When the crowd saw Link, alot of them suddenly broke out in laughter. Apparently most of them hadn't expected a kid to be fighting.  
  
"Is this some sort of joke?" muttered an elderly man.  
  
"I don't know... It's ridiculous though...I had to wake up early to get in line..." stated another man.  
  
Link sighed, and tried his best to stay between the two guards as they stepped into the aisle between the two crowds.  
  
"A child?!" yelled someone.  
  
The crowd was a mix of laughter and anger.   
  
"What's going on?" called someone from the back of the crowd.  
  
"They've got a child dueling!" shouted a woman.  
  
Link covered his ears when a few people started to shout out obscene words and insults.   
  
"Why is that runt wearing green clothes?"  
  
"Must be his armor! Haha!" joked someone.  
  
After another twenty seconds, Link managed to make it inside the gate. The entrance led to a large area, littered with thousands of seats all in a circle around a large grassy space roughly the size of Lon Lon Ranch's field.  
  
"Alright kid...since we have to hurry, I'm going to trust you to make it down that stairway there, and into those large doors. You should be greeted by another of my colleagues...he'll take you to your waiting room where you can do whatever you need to. The duel shouldn't start for quite awhile," said a guard.  
  
"Uh...okay," muttered Link, looking down at the stairway, and then to the doors he was to enter.  
  
"See ya around kid. Good luck," said the guards.   
  
The two of them turned and exited the colluseum. Link slowly walked down the stairs, feeling very lonely at the moment.  
  
_______________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Joker: Mmm...I'm adding a new section to respond to reviews. Dunno why I'm adding it now...but...yeah, whatever. Sorry for the long update... It wasn't just this story that was delayed slightly, but my other stories as well. I was having problems with lotsa homework, and other things to do. I expect to update this alot quicker next time.  
  
www.darkmonkey.com  
  
JokersSpecter@hotmail.com - E-mail me for whatever... Or add me to MSN Messenger if you wish to talk to me about anything.  
  
Review!  
  
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"Reader Spolight"  
  
{ } = Anonymous Reviews.  
  
[ ] = Signed Reviews.  
  
-----  
  
[LinkDragon]  
  
-Thanks for reviewing, and thanks for enjoying the story. British stuff is welcome, hehe.  
  
~-~  
  
[Inversion]  
  
-Yeah, love triangles are always interesting and complicated.  
  
~-~  
  
[swimmin-chick54]  
  
-Nah, don't say you suck at writing. Just try writing more...to tell the truth, I still think I suck at writing. But yeah, just write more. Practice makes pefect...even though nobody's perfect.  
  
~-~  
  
{Great Divide}  
  
-Sorry, but it depends on the reviews because I have a number of other stories. The stories that get the most attention get updated more frequently. 


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